The Internationale Arise ye prisoners of starvation Arise ye toilers of the earth For reason thunders new creation ‘Tis a better world in birth. Never more traditions’ chains shall bind us Arise ye toilers no more in thrall The earth shall rise on new foundations We are but naught we shall be all

Chorus

Then comrades, come rally And the last fight let us face The Internationale Unites the human race

I-Internationale Vuka n’zigqila zezwe lonke Vukan’ejokwen’ lobugqili Sizokwakh’ umhlaba kabusha Siqed’indlala nobumpofu.

Lamasik’ okusibopha Asilwise yonk’ incindezelelo Manj umhlab’ unesakhiw’ esisha Asisodwa Kulornkhankaso

Chorus

Maqaban wozan! Sihlanganeni’ Sibhekene nempi yamanqanmu i-Internationale Ibumb’uluntu lonke

4 BOOK 1 PROGRAMMES/AGENDA/MINUTES/RESOLUTIONS National General Council (NGC)

Solidarity Forever

Solidarity forever solidarity forever Solidarity forever For the union makes us strong

When the union’s inspiration through The workers blood shall run There can be no power greater anywhere beneath the sun Yet what force on earth is weaker than the feeble strength of one But the union makes us strong

Chorus

Is there aught we hold in common with the greedy parasite Who would lash us into serfdom and would Crush us with his might Is there anything left to us but to organize and fight For the union makes us strong

Chorus

It is we who ploughed the prairies Built the cities where they trade Dug the mines and built the workshops Endless miles of railroad laid Now we stand outcast and starving ‘midst the wonders we have made But the union makes us strong

5 BOOK 1 PROGRAMMES/AGENDA/MINUTES/RESOLUTIONS National General Council (NGC)

NATIONAL GENERAL COUNCIL NOTICES OF MEETING & LOGISTICS

6 BOOK 1 PROGRAMMES/AGENDA/MINUTES/RESOLUTIONS National General Council (NGC)

27th June 2017 To: 1. THE PRESIDENT; and ALL MEMBERS OF THE NATIONAL WORKING COMMITTEE (NWC); 2. PROVINCIAL CHAIRPERSONS AND SECRETARIES; 3. REGIONAL CHAIRPERSONS; 4. OTHER REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVES Re: NOTICE CONVENING NATIONAL GENERAL COUNCIL (NGC)

Dear Comrades, You are hereby notified of the meeting of the National General Council (NGC) that will be held as follows: Date: 05 – 07 October 2017 Time: 10h00 (first day) Venue: SADTU Village, Portion 74, corner of Dann Road & Loam Street Glen Marais, Ext 144 Kempton Park, Johannesburg

Your attention is drawn to the following constitutional provisions: Clause 13.2.1 The National General Council shall consist of the National Office Bearers, Provincial Chairpersons and Secretaries, Regional Chairper- sons and one additional Regional delegate per 5 000 paid – up members or part thereof, provided that each Region shall be entitled to at least one additional delegate. Clause 13.2.2. The National General Council shall meet at least once during the five years and its functions shall include: (a) the ratification of decisions of the National Executive Commit- tee; and (b) the adoption of policy issues of major importance in between National Congresses. As indicated in Clauses 13.2.2. (a) and (b) of the SADTU Constitution, the business of the NGC shall be to ratify decisions of the National Executive Committee (NEC) and to adopt policy on issues of major importance. Please note that the arrival date is 04 October 2017 and it will be used to receive messages of support so that the 05-07 October are strictly used to deal with policy issues including two ad- dresses being that of the Deputy President of the Country, Cde Cyril Ramaphosa and Cde Fred Van Leeuwen the General Secretary of EI who will be retiring. The Matthew Goniwe House will also be officially opened on the 5th by the Deputy President of the Country. As per the policy of the Union, gender balance of delegates from all structures of the Union is compulsory. Young workers should be encouraged to attend the National General Council where possible.

All delegates will arrive on the morning of Wednesday, 04th October 2017 and depart in the afternoon on Saturday, 07th October 2017.

Further correspondence regarding logistical and other ancillary arrangements will be forwarded to you in due course.

We thank you in advance for your full cooperation in order to enhance preparations for this NGC meeting.

Comradely Regards,

______Mugwena Maluleke General Secretary

cc All Union Departments 27/06/2017

7 BOOK 1 PROGRAMMES/AGENDA/MINUTES/RESOLUTIONS National General Council (NGC)

All delegates will arrive on the morning of Wednesday, 04th October 2017 and depart in the afternoon on Saturday, 07th October 2017.

Further correspondence regarding logistical and other ancillary arrangements will be forwarded to you in due course.

We thank you in advance for your full cooperation in order to enhance preparations for this NGC meeting.

Comradely Regards,

______Mugwena Maluleke General Secretary

cc All Union Departments 27/06/2017

8 BOOK 1 PROGRAMMES/AGENDA/MINUTES/RESOLUTIONS National General Council (NGC)

NATIONAL GENERAL COUNCIL CREDENTIALS

9 BOOK 1 PROGRAMMES/AGENDA/MINUTES/RESOLUTIONS National General Council (NGC)

Summary of Credentials STRUCTURE EXPECTED DELEGATES PRESENT

Famale Male Female Male

National NWC 4 4

KwaZulu Natal Province/Region Female Male

PWC 2 1 1

Mbuso Shabalala 3 2 1

Phiwo Kamjula Gwamanda 4 2 2

Mzala Nxumalo 3 2 1

Harry Gwala 2 1 2

Durban South 4 2 2

North Coast 3 2 1

Ethekwini North 3 1 2

TOTAL 25 13 12

Free State Region Female Male

PWC 2 0 2

Goldfields 2 1 1

Central 2 1 1

North Eastern 2 1 1

Northern 2 1 1

Southern 2 1 1

Maluti 2 1 1

TOTAL 14 6 8

Gauteng Region Female Male

PWC 2 1 1

10 BOOK 1 PROGRAMMES/AGENDA/MINUTES/RESOLUTIONS National General Council (NGC)

South West 3 1 2

Central 3 1 2

Tshwane 2 1 1

East Rand 3 1 2

North Region 3 2 1

TOTAL 16 7 9

North West Region Female Male

PWC 2 0 2

J. B. Marks 2 1 1

Zulu Boy 2 1 1

TJ Madlala 2 1 1

Rose Lethoko 2 1 1

Oupa Randa 2 1 1

Motlanti Mmekwa 2 1 1

Total 14 6 8

Northern Cape Region Female Male

PWC 2 0 2

Namaqua 2 1 1

Pixley Ka Seme 2 1 1

John Taolo 2 1 1

ZF Mgcawu 2 1 1

Frances Baard 2 1 1

TOTAL 12 5 7

Western Cape Cape Region Female Male

PWC 2 0 2

11 BOOK 1 PROGRAMMES/AGENDA/MINUTES/RESOLUTIONS National General Council (NGC)

Boland 2 1 1

Coastal 2 1 1

South Coast 2 1 1

West Coast 2 1 1

Inland 2 1 1

Karoo 2 1 1

TOTAL 14 6 8

Mpumalanga Region Female Male

PWC 2 0 2

Mgababa Mathonsi 3 1 2

Mzansiligwa 2 1 1

Bohlabela 3 1 2

Willy Mathaila 2 1 1

South Highveld 12 1 1

Justice Sibeko 2 1 1

TOTAL 16 6 10

Limpopo Region Female Male

PWC 2 0 2

Capricorn 3 1 2

Mopani 3 0 2

Sekhukhune 3 1 2

Waterberg 2 1 1

Western 2 1 1

Vhembe 4 2 2

TOTAL 19 6 12

12 BOOK 1 PROGRAMMES/AGENDA/MINUTES/RESOLUTIONS National General Council (NGC)

Eastern Cape Region Female Male

PWC 2 0 2

Central 3 2 1

Kostad 4 2 2

Northern 2 1 1

Western 2 0 2

South Eastern 2 0 2

Polly Gabada 3 1 2

TOTAL 18 6 12

Summary of the Credentials

Expected Present Del- Structure Delegates Male Female % egates NWC 8 4 4 50/50 Eastern Cape 18 12 6 67/33 Mpumalanga 16 10 6 62/38 Free State 14 7 7 50/50 North West 14 8 6 57/43 Northern Cape 12 6 6 50/50 Western Cape 14 8 6 57/43 Limpopo 19 12 7 63/37 Gauteng 16 11 5 68/32 KwaZulu Natal 25 12 13 48/52 TOTAL NGC DELEGATES 156 90 66 57/43

NGC 2017: Delegates

No. National / Pro- Region Surname Name Designation Gender vincial 1 National NWC Maphila Magope President M 2 National NWC Mabutho Cele Deputy President M 3 National NWC Mugwena Maluleke General Secretary M 4 National NWC Dolopi Nkosana Deputy General M Secretary

13 BOOK 1 PROGRAMMES/AGENDA/MINUTES/RESOLUTIONS National General Council (NGC)

5 National NWC Motshwane Lindiwe Treasurer F 6 National NWC Hofmeester Veronica Vice President - Edu- F cation 7 National NWC Kgoleng Gloria Vice President - SAC F 8 National NWC Sekabate Dorcus Vice President - F Gender 9 Northern Cape NEC Mpalala Senzo Provincial Chairper- M son 10 Northern Cape NEC Ntathu Fikile Provincial Secretary M 11 Northern Cape John Taule Gaborokwe Mothusi Regional Chairper- M Gaetsewe son 12 Northern Cape John Taule Moagi Dinny Regional Delegate F Gaetsewe 13 Northern Cape Namaqua Julie Erick Regional Chairper- M son 14 Northern Cape Namaqua Van der Mer- Marinda Regional Delegate F we 15 Northern Cape Frances Baard Stanley Eric Regional Chairper- M son 16 Northern Cape Frances Baard Kwename Keitumetse Regional Delegate F 17 Northern Cape Pixley Ka Seme Gabasioe Rodney Regional Chairper- M son 18 Northern Cape Pixley Ka Seme Nkumbi Vuyelwa Regional Delegate F 19 Northern Cape ZF Mgcawu Beukes Estelle Regional Chairper- F son 20 Northern Cape ZF Mgcawu Issacs Aubrey Regional Delegate M 21 Eastern Cape NEC Kunene Tabile Provincial Chairper- M son 22 Eastern Cape NEC Mdingi Chris Provincial Secretary M 23 Eastern Cape Central Ntshangani Wandile Regional Chairper- M son 24 Eastern Cape Central Besman Shirley Regional Delegate F 25 Eastern Cape Central Gwavu Nkosazana Regional Delegate F 26 Eastern Cape Polly Gabada Dwabayo Bhedeshani Regional Chairper- M son 27 Eastern Cape Polly Gabada Gashi Siyabonga Regional Delegate M 28 Eastern Cape Polly Gabada Nongongo Nomahlubi Regional Delegate F 29 Eastern Cape Kokstad Mvulana Luvo Regional Chairper- M son 30 Eastern Cape Kokstad Maqhashalala Ntombodumo Regional Delegate F 31 Eastern Cape Kokstad Mthethand- Nomfundiso Regional Delegate F aba 32 Eastern Cape Kokstad Ntakana Luvuyo Regional Delegate M 33 Eastern Cape Northern Seleoane Sariel Regional Chairper- M son 34 Eastern Cape Northern Mbotya Thembakazi Regional Delegate F 35 Eastern Cape South Eastern Tshaka Siyabonga Regional Chairper- M son 36 Eastern Cape South Eastern Ntame Malibongwe Regional Delegate M

14 BOOK 1 PROGRAMMES/AGENDA/MINUTES/RESOLUTIONS National General Council (NGC)

37 Eastern Cape Western Dukwe Mazotsho Regional Chairper- M son 38 Eastern Cape Western Singeni Vuyani Regional Delegate M 39 Free State NEC Matsipa Lucy Provincial Chairper- M son 40 Free State NEC Moloi Mokholoane Provincial Secretary M 41 Free State North Eastern Masiteng Raquwe Regional Chairper- M son 42 Free State North Eastern Mkwanazi Ntshepiseng Regional Delegate M 43 Free State Goldfields Mololo Matshidiso Regional Chairper- F son 44 Free State Goldfields Celuza Thapelo Regional Delegate F 45 Free State Northern Mokhethi Moloantoa Regional Chairper- M son 46 Free State Northern Mokgwamme Gaalebalwe Regional Delegate M 47 Free State Central Mafabatho Moletsane Regional Chairper- F son 48 Free State Central Ntsasa Nomalanga Regional Delegate M 49 Free State Southern Motlhabane Elias Regional Chairper- F son 50 Free State Southern Adoons Nomhle Regional Delegate F 51 Free State Maluti Mile Molefi Regional Chairper- M son 52 Free State Maluti Moshoaliba Puleng Regional Delegate F 53 Western Cape NEC January Mbulelo Provincial Chairper- M son 54 Western Cape NEC Rustin Jonavon Provincial Secretary M 55 Western Cape Boland Samson Russell Regional Chairper- M son 56 Western Cape Boland Salie Aaishah Regional Delegate F 57 Western Cape Coastal Witbooi Clive Regional Chairper- M son 58 Western Cape Coastal Mzizi Nonzaliseko Regional Delegate F 59 Western Cape Inland Nduna Nonceba Regional Chairper- F son 60 Western Cape Inland Juwa Dimande Regional Delegate M 61 Western Cape Karoo Hooker Anderson Regional Chairper- M son 62 Western Cape Karoo Saterdagth Madgeline Regional Delegate F 63 Western Cape South Coast Witbooi Patrick Regional Chairper- M son 64 Western Cape South Coast Zinto Ntombizanele Regional Delegate F 65 Western Cape West Coast Cupido Glynnis Regional Deputy F Chairperson 66 Western Cape West Coast Londt Anorld Regional Delegate M 67 Mpumalanga NEC Bodibe Oupa Provincial Chairper- M son 68 Mpumalanga NEC Hlaise Walter Provincial Secretary M

15 BOOK 1 PROGRAMMES/AGENDA/MINUTES/RESOLUTIONS National General Council (NGC)

69 Mpumalanga Bohlabela Machimana Moses Regional Chairper- M son 70 Mpumalanga Bohlabela Mashego Philly Regional Delegate M 71 Mpumalanga Bohlabela Mhaule Busisiwe Regional Delegate F 72 Mpumalanga Willy Mathaila Usinga Oskin Regional Chairper- M son 73 Mpumalanga Willy Mathaila Cele Nokuthula Regional Delegate F 74 Mpumalanga Mgababa Nhlapho Thulani Regional Chairper- M Mathonsi son 75 Mpumalanga Mgababa Chauke Anuel Regional Delegate M Mathonsi 76 Mpumalanga Mgababa Mabilane Veronica Regional Delegate F Mathonsi 77 Mpumalanga South Highveld Masilela Japie Regional Chairper- M son 78 Mpumalanga South Highveld Dube Thembi Regional Delegate F 79 Mpumalanga Mzansiligwa Njolo Wellington Regional Chairper- M son 80 Mpumalanga Mzansiligwa Maseko Nomasonto Regional Delegate F 81 Mpumalanga Justice Sibeko Mohlobogo- Mpolokeng Regional Chairper- M ane son 82 Mpumalanga Justice Sibeko Makuwe Malesele Regional Delegate F 83 Limpopo NEC Moroatshehla Patamedi Provincial Chairper- M son 84 Limpopo NEC Raphasha Matome Provincial Secretary M 85 Limpopo Capricorn Ngobeni Mashile Regional Chairper- M son 86 Limpopo Capricorn Monyai Thobja Regional Delegate M 87 Limpopo Capricorn Mapheto Mochaki Regional Delegate F 88 Limpopo Mopani Nkondo Harvey Regional Chairper- M son 89 Limpopo Mopani Molaudzi Masilo Regional Delegate M 90 Limpopo Mopani Hosana Tsakani Regional Delegate F 91 Limpopo Sekhukhune Maredi Kgetjepe Regional Deputy M Chairperson 92 Limpopo Sekhukhune Madire Hezekiel Regional Delegate M 93 Limpopo Sekhukhune Phochana Dinah Regional Delegate F 94 Limpopo Vhembe Tshikalange Azwindini Regional Chairper- M son 95 Limpopo Vhembe Maphaha Thifhelimbilu Regional Delegate M 96 Limpopo Vhembe Nare Senanye Regional Delegate F 97 Limpopo Vhembe Mashele Linda Regional Delegate F 98 Limpopo Waterberg Pole Malesela Regional Chairper- M son 99 Limpopo Waterberg Nhlapo Ngwanagoro Regional Delegate F 100 Limpopo Western Matsoma Mashela Regional Chairper- M son 101 Limpopo Western Matome Kgopana Regional Delegate F

16 BOOK 1 PROGRAMMES/AGENDA/MINUTES/RESOLUTIONS National General Council (NGC)

102 Gauteng NEC Kekana Eddie Provincial Chairper- M son 103 Gauteng NEC Ledimo Tseliso Provincial Secretary M 104 Gauteng South West Xungu Gcinikhaya Regional Chairper- M son 105 Gauteng South West Mntambo Khulu Regional Delegate M 106 Gauteng South West Mdluli Nomalanga Regional Delegate F 107 Gauteng Tshwane Malungana Tilodi Regional Chairper- M son 108 Gauteng Tshwane Matshaba Lebogang Regional Delegate F 109 Gauteng North Ntuli Shadrack Regional Chairper- M son 110 Gauteng North Sikhumbana Patrick Regional Delegate M 111 Gauteng North Moloko Nomsa Regional Delegate F 112 Gauteng East Rand Moropa Peter Regional Chairper- M son 113 Gauteng East Rand Mabuya Motsamai Regional Delegate M 114 Gauteng East Rand Jita Maria Regional Delegate F 115 Gauteng Central Chaphatso Seatlana Regional Chairper- M son 116 Gauteng Central Maluleke Moses Regional Delegate M 117 Gauteng Central Mpai Joyce Regional Delegate F 118 KwaZulu Natal NEC Duma Phumlani Provincial Chairper- M son 119 KwaZulu Natal NEC Caluza Nomarashiya Provincial Secretary F 120 KwaZulu Natal Ethekwini Dube Musa Regional Chairper- M North son 121 KwaZulu Natal Ethekwini Kimmianh Vimla Regional Delegate F North 122 KwaZulu Natal Ethekwini Gumede Zakhele Regional Delegate M North 123 KwaZulu Natal North Coast Shandu Velenkosini Regional Chairper- M Region son 124 KwaZulu Natal North Coast Si- Hlengiwe Regional Delegate F Region baya-Mchunu 125 KwaZulu Natal North Coast Madikane Makhayandile Regional Delegate F Region 126 KwaZulu Natal Harry Gwala Ndlovu Balungile Regional Chairper- F son 127 KwaZulu Natal Harry Gwala Mncwabe Mthobisi Regional Delegate M 128 KwaZulu Natal Harry Gwala Mbele Ziningi Regional Delegate M 129 KwaZulu Natal Mzala Nxum- Buthelezi Sibususo Regional Chairper- M alo son 130 KwaZulu Natal Mzala Nxum- Nxumalo Jabulani Regional Delegate F alo 131 KwaZulu Natal Mzala Nxum- Nxumalo Celiwe Regional Delegate F alo 132 KwaZulu Natal Durban South Zulu Musa Regional Chairper- M son 133 KwaZulu Natal Durban South Duma Muziwakhe Regional Delegate M

17 BOOK 1 PROGRAMMES/AGENDA/MINUTES/RESOLUTIONS National General Council (NGC)

134 KwaZulu Natal Durban South Tsekiso Busi Regional Delegate F 135 KwaZulu Natal Durban South Mkhize Philisiwe Regional Delegate F 136 KwaZulu Natal Mbuso Shaba- Magwaza Noligwa Regional Chairper- F lala son 137 KwaZulu Natal Mbuso Shaba- Nkwanyana Silondolozile Regional Delegate F lala 138 KwaZulu Natal Mbuso Shaba- Nzama Mandla Regional Delegate M lala 139 KwaZulu Natal Phiwo Kamjula Sibisi Mandla Regional Chairper- M Gwamanda son 140 KwaZulu Natal Phiwo Kamjula Vilakazi Sphamandla Regional Delegate M Gwamanda 141 KwaZulu Natal Phiwo Kamjula Msomi Fikile Regional Delegate F Gwamanda 142 KwaZulu Natal Phiwo Kamjula Twala Jabulile Regional Delegate F Gwamanda 143 North West NEC Bomvana Mxolisi Provincial Chairper- M son 144 North West NEC Themba Goerge Provincial Secretary M 145 North West T.J. Madlala Mokgara Motsamai Regional Chairper- M son 146 North West T.J. Madlala Mosilabele Kebuileng Regional Delegate F 147 North West Oupa Randa Mothata Maropeng Regional Chairper- M son 148 North West Oupa Randa Morale Celestine Regional Delegate F 149 North West Rose Lethoko Molapisi Solly Regional Chairper- M son 150 North West Rose Lethoko Sefora Lerato Regional Delegate F 151 North West J.B. Marks Mainganya Takalani Regional Chairper- M son 152 North West J.B. Marks Masukela Nnana Regional Delegate F 153 North West Zuluboy Mo- Modingoana Mokoe Regional Chairper- M loto son 154 North West Zuluboy Mo- Mogodiri Julia Regional Delegate F loto 155 North West Motlanthi Tseka Botsape Regional Chairper- M Mmekwa son 156 North West Motlanthi Makgati Ivy Regional Delegate F Mmekwa In attendance

National /Prov- Surname Name Position Gender ince 1 National Mbetse David National Administrator M 2 National Fakude Xolani Secretariat Coordinator M 3 National Kuzwayo Njabulo Human Resource Officer M 4 National Cembi Nomusa Media Officer F 5 National Tweedie Dominic Political Education Officer M

18 BOOK 1 PROGRAMMES/AGENDA/MINUTES/RESOLUTIONS National General Council (NGC)

6 National Galorale Jones National Organiser M 7 National Somnath Renny Education Officer M 8 National Mawela David ICT Officer M 9 National Komane Paul International/National Relations M Officer 10 National Matsepe David Researcher M 11 National Mdziniso Khanyi Gender/SAC Officer F 12 National Ngubane Sihle National Accountant M 13 National Ntshangase Thokozile Personal Assistant F 14 National De Lange Cindy Administrative Secretary F 15 National Phasha Manoshe Assistant Researcher M 16 National Khumalo Busi Receptionist F 17 National Ndelu Brenda Teacher Development Specialist F 18 National Nqodi Zweli Curriculum Specialist M 19 National Thumele Wilson Media Assistant M 20 National Motsh- September Fleet M weneng 21 National Molokomme Oupa Fleet M 22 National Montsho Albert Fleet M 23 National Mugnanhal Nirvana Personal Assistant F 24 National Goduka Phumza Membership Coordinator F 25 National Ngwanya Akhona ICT Assistant F 26 Gauteng Mothlamme Mmapoifo Education Officer F 27 Gauteng Chauke Tiyani Organiser M 28 Free State Ditaba Motsoeneng Education Officer M 29 Free State Mohlomi Hans Organiser M 30 Limpopo Mathonsi Vonani Education Convenor F 31 Limpopo Makhafola Malesela Organiser M 32 Eastern Cape Saziwa Yolisa Education Convenor F 33 Eastern Cape Pupuma Siphiwo Organiser M 34 Northern Cape Farao Fadiel Education Convenor M 35 Northern Cape Pisane Gilbert Organiser M 36 KwaZulu Natal Deonarain Dhirendra Education Officer M 37 KwaZulu Natal Nene Samora Organiser M 38 North West Mafunda Mkhuseli Education Officer M 39 North West Ramong Sello Organiser M 40 Mpumalanga Ledwaba Ruth Education Convenor F 41 Mpumalanga Mokoena Thabang Organiser M 42 Western Cape Solomom Fassega Education Convenor F 43 Western Cape Rubushe Barang Organiser M

19 BOOK 1 PROGRAMMES/AGENDA/MINUTES/RESOLUTIONS National General Council (NGC)

NATIONAL GENERAL COUNCIL PROGRAMME - AGENDA

20 BOOK 1 PROGRAMMES/AGENDA/MINUTES/RESOLUTIONS National General Council (NGC)

NGC DAY 1 – WEDNESDAY, 4TH OCTOBER 2017 Open Session: Cde Magope Maphila – President Singing of the Anthems 14:00 – 18:00 (National Anthem, Solidarity Forever/The Internationalê) Opening and Welcome Cde Magope Maphila – President Purpose and Introduction of Guests Cde Mugwena Maluleke – General Secretary Message of Support Cde. Angie Motsekga - Minister of Basic Education Message of Support Cde Bheki Ntshalintshali – COSATU General Secretary Message of Support Cde Blade Nzimande – SACP General Secretary /DHET Minister

Announcement and Closure Cde Mugwena Maluleke – General Secretary NGC DAY 2 – THURSDAY, 5TH OCTOBER 2017 Closed Session: Cde Mabutho Cele – Deputy President Attendance /Adoption of Credentials Report & Adoption of 09:00 – 13:00 Apologies Cde Nkosana Dolopi - Deputy General Secretary Notice Convening the 2017 NGC: Cde Mugwena Maluleke – General Secretary Adoption of Agenda/ Programme Cde Mugwena Maluleke – General Secretary Candle Lighting: Cde Dorcus Sekabate - Vice President Gender Obituaries: Cde Mugwena Maluleke - General Secretary Opening Address: Cde Magope Maphila – President 15. Adoption of Rules of Procedure Cde Mugwena Maluleke – General Secretary 16. Adoption of Minutes – 25-27 October 2013 General Secretary - Cde Mugwena Maluleke 17 Ratification of the NEC Decisions – 2013-2017 General Secretary - Cde Mugwena Maluleke 18. Adoption of Standing Committees General Secretary - Cde Mugwena Maluleke

19. Secretariat Report & Finance Report: Cde Mugwena Maluleke - General Secretary - and Cde Nkosana Dolopi - Deputy General Secretary Cde Lindiwe Motshwane – National Treasurer

21 BOOK 1 PROGRAMMES/AGENDA/MINUTES/RESOLUTIONS National General Council (NGC)

LUNCH 13:00 Open Session: 20. Secretariat report continues 14:00 – 15:00

21. Introduction of the Keynote Speaker 15:00 – 16:15 Cde Mugwena Maluleke – General Secretary 22. Keynote Address: 15:00 – 16:15 Cde Cyril Ramaphosa – ANC Deputy President 23. OFFICIAL OPENING OF SADTU VILLAGE ANC Deputy President and NWC members

24. Vote of Thanks: Cde Harold Samuels – SIT Chairman 25.. Presentation of Token of Appreciation: Cde Mugwena Maluleke - General Secretary

26 Outlining of the Commissions: 16:15-19:00 Cde Mugwena Maluleke - General Secretary 27. Break Away into Commissions (First Session) • Commission 1: Servicing Union Members (Socio-Economic)

• Commission 2: Creating a Learning Nation (Education)

• Commission 3: Building a Delivery Based Organisational Ca- pacity (Organisational)

Commission 4: Promoting a Developmental Oriented Nation State & Creating International Partnership (Political & Interna- tional) ADJORNMENT 19:00

22 BOOK 1 PROGRAMMES/AGENDA/MINUTES/RESOLUTIONS National General Council (NGC)

NGC DAY 3 – FRIDAY, 6TH OCTOBER 2017 Open Session : Cde Magope Maphila – President 27. Announcements: 08:45-10:45 Cde Mugwena Maluleke – General Secretary

Address by Sponsors 28. Panel Discussions Closed Session: Cde. Magope Maphila – President 29. Commissions continue 10:45-13:00 LUNCH 13:00 Closed Session: Cde. Magope Maphila – President Commissions continue 14:00 - 16:00 31. Plenary 16:00 – 19:00 Adjournment 19:00 NGC DAY 4 – SATURDAY, 7TH OCTOBER 2017 Open Session: Cde. Magope Maphila – President 31. Report back from the Commissions 09:00 – 13:00

32. NGC Declaration: Cde Mugwena Maluleke - General Secretary 33. Closing Address: Cde Magope Maphila - President Lunch & Closure

23 BOOK 1 PROGRAMMES/AGENDA/MINUTES/RESOLUTIONS National General Council (NGC)

NATIONAL GENERAL COUNCIL RULES & PROCEDURES

24 BOOK 1 PROGRAMMES/AGENDA/MINUTES/RESOLUTIONS National General Council (NGC)

RULES OF PROCEDURES

1. Meeting Procedure

1.1 The National Executive Committee presents the following rules and procedures for consideration and adoption by the National General Council of the South African Democratic Teachers’ Union (SADTU);

1.2 The adopted rules and procedures will govern the proceedings of the National General Council and are binding on all National Gener- al Council delegates and guests.

2. Responsibility of the Chairperson

2.1 The Chairperson shall be in charge of the National Congress.

2.2 All speakers shall address the Chairperson

2.3 The Chairperson shall allow debate and discussion at his / her discretion.

2.4 Should the meeting lose confidence in the Chairperson, a “no confidence” motion may be moved.

2.5 When presiding at a meeting the Chairperson shall be responsible for its conduct, for the proper carrying out of its business and shall ensure order in the meeting.

2.6 The Chairperson has a responsibility to discipline whoever will be causing problems/disruptions during the National General Council proceedings.

3. Procedure to Speak

3.1 All delegates shall indicate in order to be noted to speak.

3.2 The Chairperson shall allow for an even distribution of speakers on any one topic as per the constitutional guidelines.

3.3 Points of order or clarification shall be indicated by showing the relevant card. [Red: Order – Green: Permission to Speak – Yellow: Clarity]

3.4 Additions and follow-ups shall be allowed at the discretion of the Chairperson.

25 BOOK 1 PROGRAMMES/AGENDA/MINUTES/RESOLUTIONS National General Council (NGC)

4 Motions

4.1 All motions shall be presented in writing and shall indicate the mover and the seconder.

4.2 The mover of any motion shall be allowed to speak twice: once to propose the motion and again at the end of the debate.

4.3 Any amendment to a motion must be approved by the proposer and the seconder.

5 Identification Tags and I.D. Books

5.1 All those accredited to attend the National General Council shall be issued with identification tags which will bear the relevant details;

5.2 Delegates, both voting and non-voting, shall for the duration of the National General Council, be expected to display their identification to access National General Council venue, commission rooms, accommodation and dining facilities

6 Delegates’ Responsibilities

61 All delegates shall take their seats prior to the time appointed for the commencement of proceedings. Delegates are required to be punctual and observe all time stipulations;

6.2 Delegates should make their contributions in accordance with the agenda and in that manner;

6.3 All interventions and motions shall be addressed to the Chairperson;

6.4 All delegates must observe and uphold order during proceedings of National Congress;

6.5 The following shall not be allowed (whilst a speaker is on the floor) • Howling

• Hissing

• Shouting

• Heckling

• Jeering

26 BOOK 1 PROGRAMMES/AGENDA/MINUTES/RESOLUTIONS National General Council (NGC)

• Climbing chairs and tables

• And any other similar interruptions.

6.6 There shall be no smoking allowed in any National General Council proceedings.

6.7 All cell phones must be switched off during the National General Council proceedings.

6.8 No documents may be circulated at the National General Coun- cil without prior approval of the National General Council Steering Committee except motions.

6.9 The delegates shall not circulate any motions from the floor, unless presented by the Secretariat

6.10 Distribution of material shall be approved by the General Secretary

6.11 The delegates shall not be allowed to wear paraphernalia that will be undermining, insulting, countering the organisation or inciting the delegates. (This includes wearing paraphernalia bearing pictures of current and former SADTU leaders)

6.12 The delegates shall not be allowed to sing derogatory songs against the union.

6.13 All delegates are expected to keep the rooms in the same condition they found them. Any costs incurred through breakages to the hotel property will be borne by the relevant delegate and province.

6.14 No firearms will be allowed in National General Council- proceed ings unless being carried by authorized security personnel with full accreditations.

6.15 Dangerous weapons, explosives, intoxicating substances are strictly prohibited in National General Council proceedings. Dangerous weapons shall include traditional weapons as well.

N.B: The Rules of Procedure shall be read in line with the SADTU Constitution

27 BOOK 1 PROGRAMMES/AGENDA/MINUTES/RESOLUTIONS National General Council (NGC)

NATIONAL GENERAL COUNCIL COMMITTES

28 BOOK 1 PROGRAMMES/AGENDA/MINUTES/RESOLUTIONS National General Council (NGC)

NGC COMMITTEES

1.0 EMERGENCY CONTROL 1.1 National Working Committee (NWC)

2.0 MANAGEMENT OF SESSIONS (STEERING COMMITTEE) 2.1 National Working Committee (NWC)

3.0 MINUTES COMMITTEE 3.1 David Mbetse 3.2 Thokozile Ntshangase 3.3 Recording Company (Ma Africa)

4.0 CREDENTIALS COMMITTEE 4.1 Secretariat (General Secretary, Deputy General Secretary and Pro- vincial Secretaries)

5.0 REGISTRATION COMMITTEE 5.1 Jones Galorale 5.2 Cindy De Lange 5.3 Nirvana Mughanlal

6.0 WELLNESS COMMITTEE 6.1 PPCT OVC Project 6.2 First Aiders

7.0 SECURITY COMMITTEE 7.1 General Security and Oupa Molokomme

8.0 RESOLUTIONS COMMITTEE 8.1 POLITICAL/INTERNATIONAL 8.2 ORGANISATIONAL 8.3 EDUCATION 8.4 SOCIO ECONOMIC § General Secretary § Deputy General Secretary § All Provincial Secretaries § Secretariat Officer and All Head of the Department

29 BOOK 1 PROGRAMMES/AGENDA/MINUTES/RESOLUTIONS National General Council (NGC)

COMMISIONS

COMMISSION CHAIRPERSONS RAPPORTUER SCRIBER RESOURCE PERSONS 1. Political/Inter- • Deputy President KZN Secretary • MP Secretary • President national • VP SAC • FS Secretary • GS

• NC Chairperson • Secretariat Officer

• International/ National Relations Officer 2. Organisation- • VP Gender National Trea- • GP Secretary • President al surer • FS Chairperson • Human • GS Resource • WC Chairperson Officer • DGS

• SAC/Gender Officer

• Research Officer

• National Accountant

3. Education • EC Chairperson MP Chairperson • NC Secretary • President

• LP Chairperson • NW Secretary • VP Educa- tion • Education Officer • GS

4. Socio-Eco- • NW Chairperson WC Secretary • LP Secretary • President nomics • KZN Chairperson • EC Secretary • GS

• GP Chairperson • National Organiser/ Negotiator

• Media Officer

• ICT Officer

30 BOOK 1 PROGRAMMES/AGENDA/MINUTES/RESOLUTIONS National General Council (NGC)

NATIONAL GENERAL COUNCIL Minutes - 25-27 October 2013

31 BOOK 1 PROGRAMMES/AGENDA/MINUTES/RESOLUTIONS National General Council (NGC)

DAY ONE: FRIDAY 25 OCTOBER 2013

Close Session: Chairperson - Cde Magope Maphila, Deputy President

1. WELCOME AND SINGING OF THE ANTHEMS

The Deputy President, Cde Magope Maphila extended a cordial welcome to national guests, local dignitaries and the delegates to the National General Council and called the meeting to rise for the singing of the Anthems.

The council stood on the occasion of the singing of the National Anthem/Solidarity Forever and the Internationalê.

2. NOTICE CONVENING THE NATIONAL GENERAL

Noting that:

The National General Council was convened in terms of the Constitutional clauses:- 13.2.2 and had therefore complied with the Rules of Procedure for Meetings Clause 6.1 regarding reasonable time. The notice was sent to provinces on the 03 September 2013

Resolution 1: Therefore resolve that:

The National General Council (NGC) adopts the Notice convening this NGC.

Mover: General Secretary Seconder: Northern Cape/Limpopo/Gauteng

3. CREDENTIALS REPORT

The Deputy General Secretary, Cde Nkosana Dolopi presented the credentials as follows:

Structures Expected Present M F

Nation Working Committee 7 7 3 4 Eastern Cape 20 20 13 7 Mpumalanga 16 16 10 6

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Free State 12 12 7 5 North West 14 14 8 6 Northern Cape 12 12 7 5 Western Cape 14 14 8 6 Limpopo 20 20 12 8 Gauteng 16 16 11 5 Kwa-Zulu Natal 25 25 15 10 Total 156 156 94 62

Noting that: The SADTU Constitution requires that the relevant executive committee in this regard, was the NEC, compiles the credential list for presentation to the NGC. Further noted that all the provincial offices were thoroughly consulted, received the credentials as at 08 October 2013.

Further noting that the following clause was complied with, clause 13.2.1, and the total expected delegation as per the constitution is 156, present delegates are 156.

Resolution 2: Therefore resolve that: The NGC adopt the credentials report presented as it constitutes a quorum.

Mover: Deputy General Secretary Seconder: Limpopo/Northern Cape/Gauteng/Free State/Mpumalanga/North West /KZN

4. LIGHTING OF CANDLE

The Vice President for Gender, Cde Dorcas Sekabate tabled the four formal objectives for the candle lighting as follows:

1. The first candle was to honour the memory of those lost to AIDS. 2. The second candle was to raise awareness and decrease the stigma related to HIV and AIDS. 3. The third candle was to mobilize for the involvement in the fight against HIV and AIDS. 4. The fourth candle was to show support to those who were living with HIV and AIDS and those who were affected by this pandemic.

The four candles were lighted. • The first candle symbolised love, people living with HIV do not experience love, they are judged, talked to in despairing way. They always have to explain how the contracted the virus before they were assisted. • The second candle represented hope, for many of those living in hopeless situation. Some of them were overwhelmed by magnitude, degeneration of health by people’ judgement and rejection. Some were overwhelmed by

33 BOOK 1 PROGRAMMES/AGENDA/MINUTES/RESOLUTIONS National General Council (NGC)

grieve, reproaches and by helplessness. For many of them there was darkness where the light of hope and shine should be. • The third candle represented faith which many people who are HIV positive and have AIDS have lost this light along the way. They struggle with so many emotions and crisis that their faith becomes uncertain. • The fourth candle represented light. Many with HIV and AIDS - to understand the message of the two candles that we have light. They only hear how we criticise them, how we hurt them, how we judge them. Then it becomes dark in their lives.

Members of the NGC were called upon to check their status every three months and take precautionary measures and live responsibly and adhere to the ABC rule.

Open Session: Chairperson: Cde Veronica Hofmeester – VP for Education

5. OPENING ADDRESS: CDE MAGOPE MAPHILA – DEPUTY PRESIDENT

The President welcomed all delegates and guests to the NGC during the 23rd Anniversary of SADTU. He indicated that NGC was a critical gathering of the organization.

Salient features in his speech were as follows: (See full version of the Speech: Annexure)

• The Secretariat Report will highlight the major programmes that we have implemented since the last NGC. We will report on the SADTU Curtis Nkondo Institute for Professional Teacher Development, an institute through which we have already delivered numerous development programmes for our members. • Despite campaigns by former regional leaders in the East Rand to delegitimize our union and use it’s structures as a launch pad to form their own version of AMCU in the public sector, 2 major events being International Women’s Day and World Teachers Day were organised and members came in their multitudes. • For the past 23 years we have been right at the coal face of the struggles of education workers. We have fought and won many battles related to our conditions of service and consistently fought for the right of the African working class child to access quality public education. • Equally we must grasp the idea that organisational discipline and democracy are not possible without each other. Everything depends upon organisational discipline. Without organisational discipline, there is no democracy. Taken together, we usually call this democratic centralism. • Democratic centralism means that the decisions taken by the membership are binding. That is democracy in a nutshell. In SADTU’s Constitution, for example, we say that “The National Congress shall be the supreme governing body of the Union”. • The decision to suspend the President of the Union pending an investigation

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was by no means an easy one. In its collective wisdom a Special sitting of the National Executive Committee felt that such a move was necessitated by certain prevailing circumstances which we are not at liberty to discuss at this stage. This decision was then communicated to the members as best as we could through our structures. A minority of our structures went on a deliberate misinformation campaign and misled members on the ground about the circumstances surrounding the suspension. • The Constitution must at all material times reign supreme without any fear or favour. • Members of the union should rally behind the black, green and yellow, spear and shield banner of the African National Congress, our ANC. Those who want to blackmail us with leaving the alliance must stop with the threats and go We will do just well without them, better fewer, but better!!! • Appeal to all members to take a firm stand against the emerging trend of tribalism and to a certain extent, regionalism as well.

The President thus officially declared the 2013 NGC open.

6. OBITUARIES

The General Secretary humbly requested the Council to stand up as a sign of showing respect to those who have departed and those who and have been with the union.

• The Council noted that these comrades were remembered for their sacrifices they have made, their discipline commitment and dedication. • These were cadres who worked unceasingly to encourage teachers to be a national voice and a conscience on matters of education and the ideas of unionism which were the central justification of SADTU’s existence. • These Comrades believed in the spirit of collectivism as a strategic tool for bargaining and winning important battles that were waged to suffocate and suppress the aspiration of teachers and make the union to forfeit their right to exist or to be a blunt instrument that can easily be manipulated. • These Comrades understood the objectives of the organization.

The video screening of the late comrades who departed during the period 2012- 2013 was played in their honour.

7. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF GUESTS: CDE MUGWENA MALULEKE – GENERAL SECRETARY

The General Secretary, Cde Mugwena Maluleke introduced the organisation to the guests.

He indicated that SADTU represented 260 000 members in education, both teachers and education personnel.

35 BOOK 1 PROGRAMMES/AGENDA/MINUTES/RESOLUTIONS National General Council (NGC)

The NGC is a gathering of the leadership of the organisation as provided for by the Constitution and the union was honoured and humbled by their presence. That they were able to take their time off from their busy schedule to come and be part of the NGC so that as the union develops policies that will ensure that the working class child received quality education in a public school. That they were then able to mobilise communities in the promotion of public schooling as a campaign that has got to restore the confidence of the people in the public schooling and mobilise the necessary resources to ensure that our schools were resourced. That our schools create an environment for learning which is an environment that can only enable our learners to do their best to their maximum potential.

The General Secretary, then introduced and acknowledged the presence of the following guests:

o Comrade Sdumo Dlamini – COSATU President o Comrade Sifiso Khumalo - Coordinator of the Public Sector Unions in COSATU. o Comrade Themba Masondo - Secretary General of SASCO o Comrade Richard Mamabolo - YCL of South Africa, o Comrade Rej Brijraj – SACE CEO o Comrade Cindy Foca – ELRC CEO o Comrade Nombulelo Nxesi – ETDP SETA CEO Comrade o Comrade Frikkie Du Bruin– PSCBC - General Secretary o Comrade Lesley Abrahams – Jet o Comrade Godwin Khoza - JET CEO & Project Manager of SADTU Curtis Nkondo o Professor Nieman Nqukulu – JET o Comrade Valencia Maleko – Old Mutual o Comrade Thami Nompula – SIHOLD CEO o Comrade Malombo Shikwambana – SAFRICAN o Comrade Malebo Lefoka - DBE o Comrade Jakes Tladi - DBE o Comrade Siphokazi Zokwana - QLTC o Comrade Jabu Tlakula - QLTC o Comrade Lawrence Moyo - Capital Car Hire o Comrade Mxolisi Saady - Capital Car Hire o Comrade David Mithi – Tshono Investment o Advocate Luvuyo Bono –ELRC Chairperson o Comrade Thomas Nkomozephi – Ngubane @ Co Director o Comrade Mwelase Banda – Ngubane @ Co Director o Comrade Charles Setsubi – SACP

36 BOOK 1 PROGRAMMES/AGENDA/MINUTES/RESOLUTIONS National General Council (NGC)

Close Session: Chairperson - Cde Magope Maphila, Deputy President

8. APOLOGY

All expected delegates were in attendance.

9. ADOPTION OF THE RULES OF PROCEDURE

Noting that:

The NEC deliberated and adopted the Rules of Procedures in order to ensure the smooth running of all constitutional structures of the union including the national congress.

Resolution 3: Therefore resolve that:

The NGC adopted the rules of procedure to guide the running of the NGC proceedings.

Mover: General Secretary Seconder: Northern Cape/Gauteng/North West / Limpopo

10. ADOPTION OF THE NGC STANDING COMMITTEES

Noting that: The Secretariat has deliberated and resolved on the NGC Committees to assist in the facilitations of various tasks to ensure that the NGC is managed effectively.

Resolution 4: Therefore resolve that:

The NGC adopted the NGC Committees as presented in order to ensure the effective running of the NGC.

Mover: General Secretary Seconder: KwaZulu Natal/ Mpumalanga

37 BOOK 1 PROGRAMMES/AGENDA/MINUTES/RESOLUTIONS National General Council (NGC)

11. ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA

Noting: The Agenda/Programme as presented.

Resolution 5: Therefore resolve that:

The NGC adopts the agenda/programme in order to guide the running of the NGC proceedings.

Mover: General Secretary Seconder: Western Cape/North West/Free State/Northern Cape

12. ADOPTION OF THE NGC MINUTES – 25-27 OCTOBER 2013

Noting that: The minutes were circulated to all the structures in 14th October 2013 for correction and omission.

Further noted that the substantive decision as captured on resolutions were sent to all structures on 20th November 2012.

Resolution 6: Therefore resolve that: The NGC adopted the minutes as a true reflection of the deliberations at the NGC held on the 25-27 October 2013

Mover: General Secretary Seconder: KwaZulu Natal/Free State/Gauteng/Northern Cape/North West

13. RATIFICATION OF NEC DECISIONS – 2012 & 2013

Noting that: The NEC decisions were adopted in all National Executive Committee (NEC) meetings and were further circulated to all union structures.

Resolution 8: Therefore resolve that: The NGC ratified the NEC decisions for years 2012 and 2013.

Mover: General Secretary Seconder: WC/GPO/FS/NC/LP/KZN

38 BOOK 1 PROGRAMMES/AGENDA/MINUTES/RESOLUTIONS National General Council (NGC)

14. APPLICATION FOR CONDONATION

The NGC noted the letter of Application for Condonation from Cde L.L. Tsajwa – North West Provincial Secretary

The NEC noted the application letter for condonation and of late submission of appeal to the NGC 2013 from Cde L.L. Tsajwa. He indicated that he had received the NEC decision of his appeal on the 19th September 2013 at around 10:00. He then fell ill from the 22nd September 2013 which was a Sunday and went for consultation on Monday 23rd September 2013. He was booked off sick from the 23- September – 4th October 2013 and he reported for work on the 7th October 2013.

Cde L.L. Tsajwa was therefore requesting that he be condoned for the late submission of his appeal to the NGC to be held on the 25-27 October 2013 in line with the Constitution as he was unable to meet the deadline because he was booked off.

The NGC was informed that in debating the matter the NEC noted the following:

That it was its duty to interpret the constitution, consider the application for condonation and the appeal to the NGC, and bring the matter to a finality.

However, the NEC noted with serious concern the trend in the applications for condonation for late appeals. The first application was granted because the NEC believed that the appellant had genuine reasons for the late application.

The NEC as advised by the NDC granted the condonation; because the NDC had time as required by the constitution to look into matters of discipline and make recommendations. In the opinion of the NEC the appellant was using the same reasons and same medical doctor for the same sickness as the first appeal in August this year.

The NEC found it unacceptable that the appellant (provincial secretary) misled the NEC by stating that the General Secretary was advised of his sickness, whereas he contacted him for the first time after receipt of the outcome of appeal on the 30 September 2013, and enquired whether there was a time frame for the submission of the appeal to the NGC. In the same SMS he stated that he has been very sick for the past two weeks and just wanted to know whether to apply for condonation. The General Secretary responded with an affirmation to both clarities as sought because the General Secretary doesn't adjudicate on appeals or condonation thereof, it was the responsibility of the NEC to adjudicate and where the constitution was silent, to interpret it in the light of any facts about the application, that has been brought to its attention.

NEC further noted that the application for condonation does not deal with the merits of the case and renders it devoid of substance.

It was therefore recommended to the NGC that the condonation from Cde L.L. Tsajwa be rejected and the matter be closed so that the union can move on with servicing of membership rather than be boggled down endlessly with technicalities.

39 BOOK 1 PROGRAMMES/AGENDA/MINUTES/RESOLUTIONS National General Council (NGC)

Resolutions The NGC rejected the application for condonation from Cde L.L. Tsajwa – North West Provincial Secretary.

Mover: General Secretary Seconder: KwaZulu Natal

Open Session: Chairperson - Cde Magope Maphila, Deputy President

15. ADDRESS BY CDE MALUSI GIGABA - ANC NEC MEMBER

Salient features in his speech were as follows: (See full version of the Speech: Annexure)

• That the NGC met at the time when the liberation movement will be remembering the birthday of the late and long serving President of the ANC, Comrade Oliver Tambo who led the movement with distinction and brought it back into the country united and intact.

• That the ANC was bringing a message of unity as well as fraternal greetings to the NGC. That over time they had to come to understand the importance of unity in the execution of the struggle because the unity of the movement was the basis upon which they can unite the social motive forces, and stand to benefit objectively from the success of the democratic revolution they were prosecuting.

• That South Africa was the fastest growing population and a continent that has recorded growth continuously against a gloomy global economic situation. That the continent’s economic growth rates were growing rapidly.

• That as we go to the election next year and celebrate the 20 years of freedom we would have a good story to tell to the people of how a country in 19 years of freedom could provide electricity to more households than over 300 years of colonialism could ever do. That the ANC government has given more people and children access to education, has provided 3.5 million houses including clean water.

• That it was important to overthrow the movement of minority rule and begin to entangle it and turn it on its head. That it was why from the onset they advanced the idea of a national democratic revolution. That was why in 1995 the ANC put forward a programme not only for political freedom but for socio economic emancipation.

• That they needed to strengthen their movement and convey a message to the people that was clear that the ANC didn't exist because of the elections

40 BOOK 1 PROGRAMMES/AGENDA/MINUTES/RESOLUTIONS National General Council (NGC)

once in five years. That the ANC didn't seek their vote so that their mandate starts at the beginning of five years and ends at the end of five years. That it was the same movement which carried them to freedom and the same movement which stood side by side with them as they struggled against brutal system. That it was the same movement that over the last 19 years working together with them has made South Africa a better place, a better country to live in and that together they would achieve enormous process.

16. ADDRESS BY CDE THULAS NXESI – SACP

Salient features in his speech were as follows: (See full version of the Speech: Annexure)

• That SADTU was built on the democratic, worker-controlled, militant trade unionis and professionalism. This was understood to mean the need to transform the education system and to build Peoples Education, whilst delivering quality education to all the children. This further meant a political commitment to a wider vision of national liberation and the struggle for socialism. SADTU always saw the bigger picture and was a leading part of that wider movement for national liberation, and after 1994 for transformation. Since 1994, as the Alliance and ANC-led government: have built a universal, free and compulsory education system. Had extended schooling to include Grade R. Had doubled the number of university students and graduates, and currently was feeding 9 million school children daily.

• That building on these solid foundations, they look to the teachers of South Africa - in partnership with government, learners, parents and communities - to continue to focus their efforts on building quality learning and teaching.

• That at Mangaung, the ANC and the Alliance resolved that there was a need to intensify efforts to achieve a radical transformation in the second phase of transition. That the focus was on social and economic empowerment of all the people. Crucially, that included, combating fraud and corruption; and as part of the national democratic revolution; addressing the land question; and driving economic growth and job creation.

• That the Red October Campaign, was going back to the two important themes that they had campaigned about in the past. That the financial sector campaign and the land campaign. The original financial sector campaign brought a number of gains: the original credit amnesty; progressive legislation in the form of a National Credit Act and the National Credit Regulator (NCR) which monitors the mainstream financial players, as well as dealing with the illegal activities of the Mashonisas; the launch of the Mzansi account, a product that has reached up to 10 million initially unbanked, mainly the poor and the working class.

• That as trade unionists, unity was strengths. Unity of our organisations, unity of the working class, under the leadership of the federation and the SACP and the unity of the oppressed, under the leadership of the national liberation movement led by the ANC and above all unity of this mighty Alliance which delivered political freedom in 1994. That the ANC remained the only vehicle capable of deepening

41 BOOK 1 PROGRAMMES/AGENDA/MINUTES/RESOLUTIONS National General Council (NGC)

the national democratic revolution and delivering real social and economic emancipation to all the people. That forgetting this simple truth would be at their own peril. That unity can never be taken for granted, it has to be constantly guarded and nurtured.

• That COSATU should get its house in order and that it was COSATU itself that must do this. That any factional interference from outside, whether it be from the ANC or the SACP or from media and NGOs would not assist.

• That unity was maintained by maintaining discipline. For teachers this meant maintaining the highest ethical and professional standards. Where it was alleged that comrades do not maintain these standards, then they must be subjected to a disciplinary hearing and due process. Even when comrades were found guilty of charges, they require that they maintain discipline. It was opportunistic and completely unacceptable when such comrades then threaten to break away from the union for their own personal gain and effectively dividing workers against each other, and weakening their ability to engage with the management. Such elements must be exposed. Anybody in SADTU who wants to form another teacher’s union must be exposed, and leadership must go to the ground to engage and explain the position to members.

17. ADDRESS: SDUMO DLAMINI – COSATU PRESIDENT

Salient features in his speech were as follows: (See full version of the Speech: Annexure)

• That members should continue to protect SADTU from any threat which may be coming from anywhere, even from within. That they should continue to build SADTU into an organisation that was known for its consistency to defend its founding principles and its respect for the principles of our movement and the revolution as a whole. • That COSATU will not split. That COSATU will be defended from both organisational and ideological threats, whether such threats were coming from outside or from within their ranks. That they would do that out of conviction of their own principles, policies and traditions. That they would confront issues inside the organisations, finalise them and come out united to confront their primary enemy and their primary enemy was not the ANC or the SACP, as it was being projected from some quarters inside the federation but the principal enemy of the revolution was monopoly-capital and white-monopoly-capital in particular. That that constituted the real South African ruling class. • That the dominant ideological expression of the enemy class was neo-liberalism. That that ideological expression couldn't be pigeon-holed in this or that political party, but required a more nuanced analysis. That the function of the neo-liberals was to protect the interests of white monopoly capitalism and imperialism. • That research showed that at the global level, the number of unemployed people would continue to increase unless policies change course. That global unemployment was expected to approach 208 million in 2015, compared with

42 BOOK 1 PROGRAMMES/AGENDA/MINUTES/RESOLUTIONS National General Council (NGC)

slightly over 200 million. • That the world was confronted with the reality that currently 165 million children globally were chronically malnourished. That those preventable condition had affected one in every four children at some point in their lives. • That the political commission mandated by the CEC met on the 6th June 2013 crafted and agreed on COSATU’s position on the NDP and later had this as a proposal presented and adopted by the CEC. That COSATU position as of then with regard the NDP says that “COSATU together with our Alliance partners has over many years advocated the need for a long-term national planning process to guide the country’s development. • That CEC resolved, among others, to call for the redrafting and fundamental overhaul of the core economic chapter of the Plan, and any other aspects of the NDP in conflict with Alliance policies, or undermining the radical economic shift, which they all agree, must form the main content. • That the current generation of COSATU leaders have a responsibility to use the current challenges and current political and organisational activities to construct chapter eleven of the September Commission. That was also a homework to SADTU to read the September Commission report table proposals on how they should proceed.

18. SECRETARIAT REPORT /FINANCE REPORT

The Secretariat Report and Finance Report were tabled to the NGC. The Finance report contained the narrative report on the financial health of the Union and the National and Consolidated Financial Statements.

It was resolved that deliberations and clarities on the report will be dealt with on the following day.

19. ADJOURNMENT

At 19:20 the meeting stood adjourned.

43 BOOK 1 PROGRAMMES/AGENDA/MINUTES/RESOLUTIONS National General Council (NGC)

DAY TWO: SATURDAY 26 OCTOBER 2013

Close Session: Chairperson - Cde Magope Maphila, Deputy President

20. SECRETARIAT REPORT /FINANCE REPORT continued

The report was tabled and received by the meeting in order to facilitate the discussions.

The discussions on the Secretariat Report and Finance Report were entertained and clarities provided on matters that were raised from both the Secretariat report and the Finance report. After the deliberations the reports were adopted.

Resolution 10: The National General Council resolved that the Secretariat Report and as presented be adopted.

Mover: General Secretary Seconder: EC/KZN/MP/LP/NC/GP

Resolution 11: The National General Council resolved that the Audited Financial Statement for National and Consolidated Audited Financial Statements, as presented, be adopted.

Mover: General Secretary Seconder: WC/FS/NC/KZN

Resolution 12: The National General Council resolved that the Finance Report, as presented, be adopted.

Mover: General Secretary Seconder: MP/LP/GP/NC/KZN/FS/EC

21. OUTLINING THE BRIEF FOR COMMISSIONS

The General Secretary gave the outline of the following commissions:

a. Political/International i. Strategic Goal 3: To Build Socialism Through the Development Orientated Nation State ii. Strategic Goal 4: To ensure effective worker unity

b. Socio-Economic i. Strategic Goal 1: To ensure effective servicing of union members.

c. Organisational

44 BOOK 1 PROGRAMMES/AGENDA/MINUTES/RESOLUTIONS National General Council (NGC)

i. Strategic Goal 1: To ensure effective servicing of union members ii. Strategic Goal 2: Ensure a learning nation through involvement of our members iii. Strategic Goal 5: To Ensure Delivery Based Organizational Excellence

22. PLENARY

The NGC reconvened after the Commissions in the full Plenary Session. The following motions were dealt with:

Organisational Resolutions

1. SAC activities for physically challenged members

Noting that: • Minimal participation of physically challenged members in Sports, Arts and Culture activities of SADTU.

Believing that: • SADTU being a non-discriminatory organisation believes that this is an issue of inclusivity.

Therefore resolve that:

• During all sporting and cultural activities physically challenged members must be accommodated for these events.

Mover: Northern Cape Seconder: Free State

2. Establishment of a Constitutional & Policy Adhoc-Committee

Noting that:

• 2014 is the year of the national congress which has amongst other responsibilities, the duty to amend the constitution when mandated to do so. • Amendment of the constitution is a critical and legally technical work that warrants more time that which the normal conference could hardly provide. • Duplication of some clauses in the constitution on a similar issue. • There are some gaps in the constitution as amended in 2010. • Constitutional amendment work at national congress receives inadequate exposure as a result of time constraints.

Believing that: • The 2014 national congress shall be mandated to consider constitutional amendment.

45 BOOK 1 PROGRAMMES/AGENDA/MINUTES/RESOLUTIONS National General Council (NGC)

• Constitutional amendment is a complex exercise that also requires some legal expertise and as such dedication of ample time and deployment of a standing committee thereto is a prerequisite. • Duplication of some clauses in the constitution has given rise to inconsistencies within the constitution itself. • Constitutional amendment is an ongoing exercise necessitated by amongst other things, the growth and challenges of the organization as well as gaps picked therein. • Timeous engagement on this exercise shall minimize normal protracted discussion on same at the national congress.

Therefore resolve that: • The NGC resolved that the NEC consider the establishment of Constitutional and Policy Development of Adhoc -committee

Mover: KwaZulu Natal Seconder: Northern Cape

3. Annual National Assessment (Refer to the Secretariat Report) (Refer to the Education, Gender and Labour Policy Conference, 23-25 March 2012- Emperor’s Palace Hotel, Boksburg, Page 15)

Noting that: • ANA was introduced as a systemic evaluation to conduct a competitive evaluation against other countries in Literacy and Numeracy • Administration of ANA consumes a lot of time thus hampers the smooth running of teaching and learning. • Marking of ANA is also an extra burden on the part of educators since educators are expected to mark all the scripts. • Grade 9 learners are subjected to write three papers at the same time. • There is no common prescribed textbook for all the learners • Questions are asked from any range of the Examiner’s discretion • There is no Memorandum discussion for ANA papers before marking • Marking of these papers differs from school to another • ANA is written annually and does not give any space for possible interventions, • ANA is currently being used to evaluate and classify schools as underperforming thus becoming strenuous to educators and managers, • There is no uniform application of the strategy in the system, • ANA Moderators are remunerated whilst the markers are not, • The strategy is currently applied for Grade 1 to 6 and 9 instead of focusing on Gr 3, 6,9 • Marking of ANA is decentralised to schools while moderation is centralised. • Overload of activities at the end of third term

46 BOOK 1 PROGRAMMES/AGENDA/MINUTES/RESOLUTIONS National General Council (NGC)

• Planning of ANA by the DOE disrupts the programme of schools.

Believing that: • Learners could not sustain the workload of examinations • A common prescribed book can assist in topics to focus on in preparation for writing of ANA. • There should be Memorandum discussions for every ANA paper written prior to the marking of such a paper in order to maintain uniformity • ANA should stick to its mandate of systemic evaluation, • There should be uniform application of the strategy in the system • Any work related to ANA should be compensated. • ANA’s objective is to evaluate the system.

Therefore resolve that: • ANA should remain a systemic evaluation with time frames • All ANA scripts should be sent for a centralised marking • All markers should be paid in terms of tariffs to be agreed upon at the Bargaining Council. • There should be prescribed books for uniformity • There be uniform application of the strategy, • Prompt feedback be given to schools before the results are publicized, • The strategy should focus on Grade 3, 6 and 9; • There should be meaningful intervention programmes after feedback is given to schools • ANA should be managed at the beginning of the third term • ANA should be discontinued as an annual assessment as of 2014, and be substituted by a 3-year cycle of assessment. • DOE should provide schools with their ANA plans as early as the first term. • Time of writing of ANA should be shifted to August. • Planning of ANA should be the process not an event. • Administering of ANA should match the standards of grade 12 in terms of marking. • Assess all instruments/tools on how they are assisting (ANA should be discontinued)

Mover: Free State, Gauteng, Limpopo Seconder: Mpumalanga, Eastern Cape

47 BOOK 1 PROGRAMMES/AGENDA/MINUTES/RESOLUTIONS National General Council (NGC)

4. Safety in Schools

Noting that: • Violence against teachers is pervasive in our country • There is scarcity of research on the victimisation of teachers in the workplace • Teachers experience a variety of offences such as physical harassment such as obscene gestures, verbal abuse, physical attack and properly such as theft and damage to property

Believing that: • Teachers’ health deteriorates because of violence • Many teachers leave the profession because there is lack of support from employer. • The education sector suffers huge costs such as high rate of attrition, absenteeism, lost wages with untold consequences, accumulated debt because of exhausted medical aid and loss of instructional time

Therefore resolve that: ▪ Violence against teachers is put to an end without any delay. This must be done by ensuring that there are periodical searches conducted at random at school level (Not by Educators) either by private institutions or the police; Employment of security personnel in schools; ▪ That a national registry that can be used to track these incidents and be created under the auspices of ELRC ▪ A dedicated research be conducted taking into sociological issues, demographics of the school, the type of the administration at all levels, parental involvement and the neighborhood within which the school is located ▪ Every role player takes a stand and make a pledge to stop violence against teachers ▪ Education department respond to any case reported within the shortest period available ▪ Department of education provide psychological service to all schools ▪ Perpetrators be given the harshest sanction as a deterrent ▪ DBE review the suspension clauses in the National Education Policy Act, SASA and regulations in order to make them efficient whilst the case is being dealt with ▪ The union hold seminars with learners, parents, and other stakeholders to raise awareness of the injustice

Mover: Limpopo Seconder: Western Cape

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5. Higher Education

Noting that: ▪ MDGs are under review currently ▪ Universities play an important role in the mobilisation of human talent ▪ Contribute to the social, economic, cultural and intellectual life of a rapidly changing society ▪ Produce high-level skills training ▪ Universities are crucial training and provision of human capital to strengthen this country's enterprises, services and infrastructure ▪ This requires the development of professionals and knowledge workers with globally equivalent skills, but who are socially responsible and conscious of their role in contributing to the national development effort and social transformation. ▪ That the production, acquisition and application of new knowledge is critical in the knowledge economy

Believing that: • South Africa cannot achieve its transformation agenda if our higher education system still reflects the legacy of the past. • SADTU can help improve the inclusiveness of the graduate programs by providing students with the support and resources they need to successfully complete their studies

Therefore resolve that: • SADTU commission a research on the Millennium Development Goals particularly the ones that have not been achieved and find out the lessons that can be drawn from them. • The Union organise forums/workshops at which leading researchers on transformation and diversity present findings on the sector. • The Union facilitate discussion groups that build coalitions of students, academic staff around the question of transformation. • SADTU be involved in the battle of ideas and knowledge generation through research. • SADTU as a beacon of hope for many South Africans should start organising in the higher education sector to influence the policy direction of the sector and make it sympathetic to the working class

Mover: Western Cape Seconder: Kwazulu Natal

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6. Competency Test

Noting that: • Need to improve the manner in which marking is done. • Challenges incurred while making- marking irregularities • Teacher development/ capacity training form an integral part of marking • Competency test is a further test on content than the process of marking

Believing that: • Competency test is an attempt to commercialize education • Competency test reduce education to competition among teachers within schools • Competency test reduces the professionalism of teachers • Competency test will not address content gap in the curriculum.

There resolve that: • We reject competency testing for selection of markers. • DBE must tie professional development to content gap with the intention of improving marking

Mover: Western Cape Seconder: All provinces

7. Languages

Noting that: • English as the language of teaching and learning is common in many schools and African language is getting less weight • African languages has a low economic status

Believing that: • The means of production and exchange are tied into a language • Having a good education does not mean fluency in English • Many teachers are teaching languages at a lower level than required in most schools

Therefore resolve that: • DBE improve the quality of teaching of African languages in all schools • African languages are introduced at first language level in more schools • Government ensure that Languages Departments are strengthened at university level

Mover: Kwazulu Natal Seconder: Northern Cape /Limpopo

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8. Norms and Standards

Noting that: • The backlogs in school infrastructure • Poor maintenance in schools • The lack of adequate teaching spaces and the lack of libraries and laboratories in many schools • The poor condition of toilets • The existence of mud structures in some provinces • The absence of administration space and staffrooms in many schools • Absence of security barriers in some schools

Believing that: • The poor infrastructure contributes to poor quality teaching and learning • Learners are subjected to unnecessary harsh conditions in schools • Teacher and learner safety is compromised • The norms and standards proposed by the DBE will not address the problem • Learners with disabilities are turned away because the school structure is inadequate

Therefore resolve that: • Government set time frames of five years to deal with infrastructure backlogs • All school buildings must meet the minimum standards by 2020 • DBE embark on a maintenance programme for schools • Government address the issue of inflated costs for school infrastructure

Mover: Free State Seconder: Mpumalanga

9. Comments on NCS promotion requirements

Noting that: • The call for comments on the promotion requirements and other related matters on the standard of the National Senior Certificate • The public call to increase the pass rate in mathematics • The call to broaden the NCS qualification • The call to make life orientation examinable • The role of SBAs • Increasing the pass demand for LOLT

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Believing that: • The increase in pass requirement lacks substance in the existing poor teaching and learning environment • The increase in pass requirement will contribute to the dropout rate • Strengthening SBAs will support quality of schooling • Making life orientation examinable will contribute to better quality teaching in this subject

Therefore resolve that: • DBE keep the current promotion requirement and support a plan to increase the requirement with proper time frames and teacher development • The current mathematics setup be investigated to open up career opportunities since Math Literacy is unrecognized • Make Life Orientation non examinable • Research on the posture and credits of Life Orientation in getting access to Higher Education Institutions. • DBE develop a SBA strategy (Strengthening some forms of assessment) and the increase SBA contribution towards the NSC • DBE expand the scope of the qualification and work closely with post school systems

Mover: KwaZulu Natal Seconder: All provinces

10. SADTU Co-Operative Bank

Noting that: ▪ A co-operative bank represents an alternative to conventional private banking. It is not based on profit-maximisation but rather on meeting the common financial needs of its members. ▪ It is collectively-owned and democratically controlled by its members. ▪ The co-op bank, formed and owned by workers, has demonstrated success around the world, by effectively responding to high charges and fees of private banks, and the exploitative way conventional banks use our funds as workers. ▪ The union must have some benefits for its members designed especially for them.

Believing that: ▪ A Co-op bank can go a long way in addressing the problems facing our members such as indebtedness and providing financial education, and financial products that serve the needs of our members. ▪ In the long-term a co-op bank can make a long-lasting impact of the economic well-being our members and their families.

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Therefore resolve that: • The union will investigate the feasibility of a SADTU Co-op Bank and an affordable SADTU housing scheme, by forming a Working Group, whose members will be selected from our structures and will be provided with technical back up. • Once work has been done, including all the aspects required establishing SADTU Coop Bank (and consultation with members), a report will then be presented to the NEC to determine whether or not to launch the project. • That such a housing scheme be linked to government housing scheme as the employer to ensure its sustainability.

Mover: Organisational Commission Seconder: Eastern Cape /Western Cape/Kwazulu Natal

Political Resolutions

a. General Elections 2014

Noting that: • The National General Elections will be held in 2014 and this will be a mammoth task for the ANC. • Opposition parties are on a serious smear campaign against the ANC • There are many mushrooming political parties which are confusing the majority of South Africans especially the youth. • Most of the youth who potential voters are at schools. • The achievements of the ANC-led government since 1994 up to date. • The changing political landscape in South Africa • There is a growing anti-ANC in some communities in the WC. • The Western Cape is seen as a boerestad (Homeland) of the DA.

Believing that: • The upcoming elections would be difficult due to new mushrooming political parties. • The ANC is the only political party that can deliver on the mandate of a better life for all as enshrined in the Freedom Charter. • Service delivery is a practical way of retaining the ANC in government. • Very strong and well capacitated volunteers are needed to mobilise society to vote ANC. • Well planned programme on campaigns will assist in explaining the gains of the revolution with the ANC as the leader of the Alliance since the dawn of democracy. • SADTU has a revolutionary task to defend the gains of the revolution.

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• The ANC as the mass based liberation organization that is biased towards the working class and the poor is trusted by many of the people in our country.

Therefore resolve that: • We reaffirm both SADTU and COSATU National Congress resolutions to support the ANC in the 2014 elections. • All SADTU members should take part in the alliance campaigns canvassing for the decisive two third victories for ANC. • SADTU should support Home Affairs on its ID campaigns in high schools • Focus programme on first time voters should be developed. • SADTU, through COSATU participate in conceptualising the election manifesto. • Citizens be educated on a continuous basis that voting is their basic constitutional right. • SADTU through COSATU should mobilize resources, both human and material, to support the campaigns of the ANC during the elections. To that end, SADTU should release all their Shop Stewards and leaders to serve as volunteers in the ANC election machinery programme. • President Jacob Zuma must be affirmed as the face of the ANC election Campaign • The NEC must deal with all the vulnerable areas with special attention being afforded to the Western Cape Province.

Mover: Political Commission Seconder: All Provinces

b. Suspension of the COSATU GS

Noting that: • COSATU CEC has suspended the General Secretary for allegedly bringing the Federation into disrepute when by his own admittance confirmed to have had consensual sex with a married junior staff member in COSATU’s head office during working hours. • Due constitutional processes will unfold to afford the General Secretary a fair hearing. • The CEC had put the GS and staff member on special leave as a precaution measure to allow for a due process to be followed in the federation.

Believing that: • The General Secretary of COSATU is the custodian of the policies of the federation as an employer. • The General Secretary like any official is subject to Code of Discipline and constitution of COSATU. • That the sexual scandal should not divide the federation

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• That women should be protected on acts of sexual harassment at all levels including the workplace

Therefore resolve that: • SADTU should support the decision of CEC in suspending both the General Secretary and the staff member of COSATU • All union leaders and members must respect and adhere to the current decision of SADTU NEC and to allow the law of natural justice to prevail. • SADTU denounces the action by some COSATU affiliated unions to take COSATU to court and SADTU should further vow to stand firmly in defence of COSATU under current leadership. • SADTU must condemn all signs of tribalism that seems to accompany those in COSATU who have employed magnanimous enthusiasm to protect the General Secretary of COSATU • SADTU denounces any call for a Special COSATU Congress.

Mover: Political Commission Seconder: Kwazulu Natal/Mpumalanga Western Cape/Free State/Northern Cape

c. Unity of the Alliance and unity of the Federation

Noting that: • The threat posed by break away groupings in SADTU with the intention to form a counter revolutionary Union. • The unfortunate mushrooming of the foreign tendencies to defy decisions of the highest structures by the lower structures and individuals of the organisation. • The usage of Courts to deal with the internal organisational issues both in SADTU and COSATU. • The public spats by leaders in particular with regard to the developments in the COSATU CEC. • The misconstrued position of COSATU on National Development Plan and the posture of the Alliance on it. • The unfortunate display of the element of tribalism as witnessed in other corners of our country. • The foreign culture of the personality cult within the structures of the Alliance. • The current challenges linked to the internal processes with COSATU. • There are calls for a special congress by some unions.

Believing that: • This situation brings structural confusion and factionalism. • The situation undermines alliance structures' constitutions.

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• It creates fertile grounds for media leakages and fertile ground to further divide the organisations. • It creates an opportunity for individual grandstanding over organisational mandates. • That COSATU as the federation is the only weapon and instrument in the hands of the workers to fight against class exploitation and poor working conditions of the workers. • A request for a special congress is unnecessary and ill-conceived given the current implementation of the programme that COSATU is implementing and thus time wasting and will deplete the already thin budgets of affiliates.

Therefore resolve that: • To reaffirm all previous Alliance resolutions in building the unity and cohesion of the Alliance. • To reaffirm all resolutions on the capacity building of all leaders and members of the organisations in the Alliance. • To continue the implementation of political school programme at all levels of the Alliance with special focus on newly elected and recruited members. • To encourage all the affiliates to allow the current political intervention by both the ANC task team, SACP and the former leaders as part of the efforts to resolve the current impasse in the Federation. • As disciplined members of SADTU we should support the current internal processes of COSATU that seeks to unite the organization. To that end, leaders and members of SADTU should refrain from making unmandated pronouncements in the media that may undermine the internal processes of SADTU, COSATU and Alliance.

Mover: Political Commission Seconder: All Provinces

d. Suspension of SADTU President

Noting that: • The suspension of the SADTU President by the NEC of SADTU and the allegations leveled against him. • The investigation processes that were currently under way to afford both parties the space and time to deal with the matters. • The SADTU Constitution and code of discipline 7.8 - all members including Office Bearers shall be subject to the SADTU Code of discipline. • Clause 7.7.2 of SADTU’s Constitution • The President was undermining the conditions of his suspension by speaking to media and dividing the union in the process.

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Believing that: • SADTU is a unitary organization that subscribes to the principle of democratic centralism • Any form of bickering and backstabbing within our ranks will bring disrepute to the name of SADTU. • Further believing that the processes that will be afforded all parties will be free, fair and transparent. • Every union member and leader is expected to respect and acknowledge the supremacy of the constitution as a mandatory document for union management, administration and activity. • The President is the custodian of the constitution. • If the behaviour by the President goes unchallenged such can mark the beginning of anarchy in the organization.

Therefore resolve that: • All SADTU members and leaders should respect the current internal processes to unfold until they reach their logical conclusion. • That leaders and members alike should refrain from airing publicly any views that are likely to bring SADTU into disrepute. • Free, fair and transparent processes must be implemented expeditiously. • Stipulations of the Constitution must be followed to the letter.

Mover: Political Commission Seconder: All Provinces

e. Eastern Cape Members & Leaders

Noting that: • The report on the failure of the Eastern Cape to implement the decision of the organisation. • The reported painful incident that led to the ill treatment and subsequent booing of the National deployee. • The continued defiance by the same province committed in the past.

Believing that: • Coherence and unity of the SADTU and any organisation is dependent on unity of purpose in the implementation of its programme. • The incident brought the organisation into disrepute and undermined the character of the national leader. • Such defiance will eventually weaken the organisation’s discipline.

Therefore resolve that: • SADTU as a matter of urgency condemns all signs of tribalism that undermine unity and leaders in the organisation.

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• SADTU condemns in the strongest possible term the reported defiance of the union decision and reported unbecoming and ostensibly divisive behaviour demonstrated towards the national treasurer in the Eastern Cape. • The NEC must develop an approach to address the situation of the Eastern Cape

Mover: Political Commission Seconder: All Provinces

f. Emergence of New Trade Unions

Noting that: • The need to defend the Federation from both organisational and ideological threats internally and externally • The emergence of new trade unions with political inclination hostile to that of the federation and its affiliates • The need to expose and combat the deliberate ploys by employers to promote splinter unions, provoke unprotected strikes and undermine centralised bargaining, as ways of smashing worker organisation.

Believing that: • The future of the people of South Africa is in the hands of its workers • COSATU is the only organisation to unite all workers • Our political education programme remains a relevant tool to empower the membership and leadership and weaken those who want to liquidate our movement and sow disunity amongst our people and inside our movement.

Therefore resolve that: • To ensure that the federation as whole remains united behind a programme whose primary focus will be to give excellent service to workers • Defend the revolution against enemy propaganda, whatever form it takes

Mover: Political Commission Seconder: All Provinces

Socio Economics Resolutions

a. Quality Management System (QMS)

Noting that: • The current instrument links learner performance to that of an educator; • Contextual factors are not consistently evaluated and scored in our

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schools; • Management in schools particularly principals and their deputies teaching responsibilities in the QMS instrument has been elevated to management duties; • QMS has become a stand-alone instrument with the possibility of another instrument on development to be created • 2013 period is almost exhausted while negotiations and consultation is underway.

Believing that: • TDS resolution on the need to de-link performance of learners from the performance of educators for the purposes of pay progression was informed by prevailing socio-economic conditions of various schools; • Contextual factors in all schools impact directly on the overall performance of schools, learners and educators and need to be considered; • Classroom experience and direct engagement with learners in subject delivery is vital for every educator in schools; • Appraisal and development instrument need to be user-friendly and less cumbersome in administrative work; • Adequate time for advocacy and training shall be needed before implementation.

a Identification of weaknesses: Link with ISPTD; CPTD processes

a Performance be recognised and rewarded • Run a parallel process: Negotiators to strengthen the document while conducting workshops with the structures for feed-back by March 2014; • Put a time-frame for implementation to 2015, and allow 2014 for advocacy and piloting

Mover: Seconded: Gauteng/KwaZulu Natal

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b. Bullying in the institutions of learning

Noting that: • That bullying in the institutions of learning is on the rise or has reached epidemic levels, • That the incidents are under-reported, • Lack of uniform yet flexible policy dealing with bullying in institutions of learning, • Lack of coordinated campaign raising awareness of the injustices caused by bullying, • Lack of a comprehensive register to track down the incidents and how they were resolved, • Lack of qualified teachers with expertise in handling bullying, psychosocial services within institutions of learning, • Lack of a comprehensive plan to combat bullying in our institutions of learning

Believing that: ▪ That bullying is an injustice to all the learners/students in our institutions of learning, ▪ That the lack of a comprehensive plan to combat bullying by the department is the worst injustice to our learners/students ▪ That this demon is stealing the dignity, self-esteem and confidence of the victims, ▪ That any bullying whether is directed to gender, sexual orientation, physical, disability of the learner/students or any other form is unlawful and unacceptable.

Therefore resolve that: ▪ That the Union convenes Provincial Principals' (members of SADTU) Conferences or seminars to seriously discuss and develop strategies to stop this scourge; ▪ That the Union cause the DBE to develop a comprehensive plan to combat bullying; ▪ That the Union encourage Teachers, Students/learners, parents and support staff to take a pledge to stop bullying in all our institutions of learning; ▪ That the Union create within the existing website a blog for members to report bullying; ▪ That the ELRC conduct targeted research on the support the teachers require to be able to teach learners that display this behaviour; ▪ That the DBE takes full responsibility in creating a formidable register to track down the incidents and the resolution thereof;

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▪ To cause every institution of learning to declare the institutions a bully free zones; ▪ That the DBE provide well qualified teachers in the teaching of learners with this behaviour with the intention of assisting the affected learners to benefit from the learning process; ▪ That the DBE cause every affected parent to take personal responsibility to stop bullying; ▪ That the learner who commits continuous acts of bullying must receive the harshest sanction because the right of this learner disrupts the rights of other learners to education. ▪ Further consider calling for an amendment to South African Schools’ Act provisions on the suspension of learners to address the above.

Mover: Secretariat Seconder: Mpumalanga/Free State

c. Early Pension Cash-In by Educators & Education Workers In General Through Resignations And Re-Entering The System

Noting that: • The growing trend of Educators resigning and re-entering the service; • The growing urge within Educators to cash-in on the pension benefits; • The ever growing wage gap between the Public Service Employees, including Educators and their counter-parts in the Private Sector; • The low morale of Educators, particularly the experienced Educators; • The urge within the Educators to improve their living conditions;

Believing that: • Resigning and re-entering the system by the Educators can have dire consequences for such Educators in future; • Early cashing-in of pension benefits can be burdensome to both the employees and the state in future; • The early cashing –in of pension benefits does not necessarily translate into the improvement into the way of living for the Educators; • A proper career-pathing model and improvement of social benefits can go a long way in motivating Educators to remain in the system;

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system as this would result in unintended consequences for such Educators and their families; • That SADTU should advocate for a social dialogue in Education that will assist to identify the challenges related to the social ills that are forcing experienced Educators to resign and re-enter the system and assess the impact of such on their lives

Mover: Kwa Zulu-Natal Seconded: All Provinces

d. Rural Allowance, Incentives & Rewards

Noting that: • DoE is implementing rural incentives through quintile system which is discriminating in nature. • The current rural incentive scheme is unworkable and shows that it was a product of unilateral determination by the State as the employer. • Only teachers receive the Rural Allowance • SADTU is now organising the Education workers such as Clerks and General Workers who some of are working in rural areas • The DBE, in consultation with employee unions, implemented monetary incentives and rewards for rural schools. • A policy for implementing incentives and rewards in areas referred to as hard to teach has as yet not been developed.

Believing that: • All teachers and education workers working in rural areas should receive equal treatment from the employer in terms of benefits. • SADTU should be at the forefront and direct the Department as to the implementation of a policy for Hard- to- teach areas. • Such policy should make provision for schools located in areas where gang and school violence is rife. • SADTU should not support incentivizing particular subjects

Therefore resolve that: • Call for the review of the rural allowance policy so that every member who qualifies should benefit; • SADTU should engage the Department of Education on the equal implementation of Rural Allowance to include other education workers in rural areas or in areas where teachers are benefiting; • Hard-to-teach areas be identified based on data including the poverty index in relations to schools be incentivized; • That schools who are unable to recruit educators to a school that the post be incentive; • The union pursue this incentive scheme in the ELRC as a matter of urgency;

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Mover: Eastern Cape, Free State, Western Cape (Existing 2010 Congress, P221) Re-affirm

Sender: All Provinces

e. On FETC Workers’ Imminent Migration to DoHET and The Outstanding Representation Of Other Public Service Act employed workers

Noting that: • Intervallic implementation of Act 3 of 2012 that transfers FETC workers to the DoHET. • The expansion of SADTU’s scope to recruit all education workers including Public Service Act employees as per Congress resolution. • The already advanced mobilization and recruitment and servicing of support staff in schools and DoE department offices as well as in the FETC which has placed SADTU ahead of other unions as the only reliable and revolutionary trade union capable of advancing workers’ aspiration for their total emancipation. • SADTU’s visibility in FETC and the DoE department offices and her historic wars and defense for this vulnerable sector was exceptionally remarkable. • Other unions have vigorously focused their recruitment drive on support staff in schools and in the DoE department offices in response to SADTU’s militant intervention and presence therein as well as in the FETC sector in anticipation of a perceived smooth takeover of our members when they migrate. • Existence of a separate bargaining council for this category of workers. • SADTU is currently not party to the GPSSBC which is the official bargaining council for this category of workers, majority of them have conditions of services are not commensurate with their labour power they sell to the employer and fall far below the par of other State workers. • The existing decision for SADTU to act together with another COSATU union in the GPSSBC. • SADTU’s membership of Public Service Act employees falls short of the required threshold for registration in the GPSSBC.

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workers employed in terms of the Public Service Act has freed our members from chains of captivity they were subjected to perpetually. • SADTU’s presence in the GPSSBC shall ensure uninterrupted and expansion of worker struggles in yet another critical terrain of worker struggle for total emancipation of all education workers. • The current SADTU membership figures of the workers to be migrated inclusive of other members already in the GPSSBC places SADTU in a more confident position to engage other unions for acting together agreement.

Therefore resolve that: • A dedicated and focused recruitment drive must be conducted by all provinces henceforth and reports thereof should be tabled in all NEC meetings for accountability purposes. • The existing resolution of SADTU of acting together with another COSATU union in the GPSSBC be implemented as a matter of urgency. • That in this effect a NEC task team must be formed with immediate effect to begin talks on working together with other COSATU unions thereat. • Such an agreement be entered into before the end of 2013 to mitigate already existing disillusionment and despair amongst these militant members of this sector should SADTU be out of reach for them.

Mover: KwaZulu Natal Seconder: Northern Cape

f. Road Map For Salary Negotiations: 2015/16

Noting that: • That SADTU has undertaken research to guide discussions in its structures to formulate inputs into the bargaining strategy for the next round of salary negotiations. • The union seeks to streamline bargaining processes with budgetary processes in line with the proposed roadmap and its time frames. • COSATU JMC concept paper on GEHS

Believing that: • Budget allocations must be informed by needs and not the other way round. • That proper mandating process will enhance and strengthen the unions capacity in collective bargaining • That the delay in concluding outstanding issues renders the collective agreement insufficient; • The state has a role in ensuring that the quality of life of public service workers is made better in order to be able to deliver quality service to the public. • The state must ensure that it provides housing for those who are not covered by free housing scheme yet unable to afford houses through the open

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market. • Time frames as indicated in the roadmap are achievable.

Therefore resolve that: • Our mandate-seeking process should be aligned to the budgetary processes of the State; • That the union should put more focus on social benefits such as housing and medical aid; • That the union demands a single term agreement; • That all outstanding issues be urgently addressed • That SADTU accepts the COSATU position paper on GEHS • That initial capitalization of the scheme be funded by the government • PSCBC should speed up the processes of GEHS with attached clear time frames for implementation by January 2015 such that implementation coincides with the next round of negotiations. • That scenario three is one preferred in terms of inflation plus 2% and that it should be single term.

Mover: Gauteng, Limpopo, Kwa Zulu-Natal, North West, Mpumalanga

Seconder: All Provinces

g. New Leave Forms

Noting that: • Unilateral implementation of the new leave without consultation. • The confusion created by the implementation of the new leave form.

Believing that: • Implementation of the new form without consultation undermines collective bargaining.

Therefore resolve that: • Proper consultations should be done through bargaining councils. • The department must be caused to place a moratorium on the usage of the new leave form in favour of the old form pending consultation processes.

Mover: Limpopo Seconded: All Provinces

h. AET Conditions of Service

Noting that: • There is no uniformity in provinces and districts on AET issues • Working conditions are not desirable.

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• Learners are recruited to attend by teachers • The current Organogram is not assisting the centres. • Level 4 is the final level offered at the centres. • Claiming takes long to process. Some educators pass on while waiting for payment. • Educators are not informed on issues that affect them. • Movement from DBE to DHET is taking long and frustrating educators. • The learner-teacher ratio is currently 1-20 in AET.

Believing that: • South Africa is one country. Same work should receive same payment. • AET practitioners are professionals. • Educators’ responsibility is to educate. • For our country’s literacy levels to improve, learners need to attend until examinations are written. • Educators must be involved and make inputs on issues that involve them.

Therefore resolve that: • A uniform & centralized policy should be developed that should be implemented by all provinces and districts.

Mover: Limpopo Seconded: Mpumalanga, Limpopo & Western Cape

i. On FETC workers’ imminent migration to DOHET and the outstanding representation of other Public Service Act Employed Workers

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• Existence of a separate bargaining council for this category of workers. • SADTU is currently not party to the GPSSBC which is the official bargaining council for this category of workers, majority of them have conditions of services are not commensurate with their labour power they sell to the employer and fall far below the par of other State workers. • The existing decision for SADTU to act together with another COSATU union in the GPSSBC. • SADTU’s membership of Public Service Act employees falls short of the required threshold for registration in the GPSSBC.

Believing that: • Implementation of Act 3 of 2012 shall effectively cause all this category of workers to be transferred to DoHET by the 1st of January 2014. • SADTU has secured sizeable figures of this category of workers as members and further that these workers have correctly identified themselves with SADTU as the most militant and revolutionary union in education most competent to represent them. • SADTU’s presence in the FETC sector has saved this sector from blatant exploitation occasioned by the FETCEO policies over the last six years. • SADTU’s direct and militant engagement with the DoE on issues of all the workers employed in terms of the Public Service Act has freed our members from chains of captivity they were subjected to perpetually. • SADTU’s presence in the GPSSBC shall ensure uninterrupted and expansion of worker struggles in yet another critical terrain of worker struggle for total emancipation of all education workers. • The current SADTU membership figures of the workers to be migrated inclusive of other members already in the GPSSBC places SADTU in a more confident position to engage other unions for acting together agreement.

Mover: KwaZulu Natal Seconder: Northern Cape

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j. Corporate Social Responsibility

Noting that: • Mineral richness in areas where they are located; • Non-beneficiation of communities around companies and mining areas. • Lack of corporate social responsibility by local companies and mining industry. • Provisioning of mining charter. • Communities lack knowledge about their rights in accessing benefits

Believing that: • Mining and other companies have a social responsibility to uplift communities. • Communities should be involved in all matters affecting them. • Mining charter should be fully observed by mining companies.

Therefore resolve that: • All Companies including the mines be caused to provide enough infrastructure to the communities where they’re located • Full implementation of the mining charter • Such companies should improve bursary benefits to the learners and provide career exhibitions; • SADTU through COSATU should mobilise and educate communities about policies which are in their favour.

Mover: Limpopo Seconder: Western Cape / North West

k. PILIR

Noting that: • The current stalemate brought by the litigating by service providers offering risk management on PILIR cases. • The long outstanding cases on PIIR.

Believing that: • The speedy resolution of PILIR cases will afford members a dignified exit from the profession.

Therefore resolve that: • That the transition schedule 1 of PAM be used to deal with the outstanding matters. • That an ELRC Task Team should be established to monitor and push for progress on PILIR cases. Ensure compliance with the recent Court

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judgement in order to avoid penalising educators for the delay caused by the employer; • Re-look into the entire PILIR policy with a view of strengthening and building capacity from within and not outsource the service; • Re-affirm our resolve to completely ban out-sourcing in the public sector.

Mover: KwaZulu-Natal Seconder: All Provinces

l. ECD and Grade R Practitioners

Therefore resolve that:

ECD and Grade R Practitioners must be included in the mainstream as from 2015 and should receive benefits enjoyed by all employees in the public service.

Mover: Mpumalanga Seconder: All Provinces

b. Government Employee Pension Fund (GEPF)

Noting that: • The administrative backlog associated with HR section of the department in timeous processing of the GEPF application forms when an employee is to exit the system either by normal retirement, resignation or death. • That delay relating to pension pay-outs constitutes an element of unfair labour practice.

Believing that: • When the employee/beneficiaries become cash strapped, it negatively impacts on their dignity. • The lack of a well coherent co-ordination between employer and the GEPF.

Therefore resolve that: • The retirees to access their monthly salaries whilst awaiting their pension pay-outs, and the money paid be recovered once the pension pay-out is effected; • That a penalty clause be built in to address the inefficiencies of the department to make submission to the GEPF; • We ensure that there is compliance with the GEPF rules in respect of the time-frames for pension pay-out.

Mover: North West Seconder: All Provinces

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n. Aspiration Model

Noting that: • We need to equalise education in the country;

Believing that: • All learners need to receive an equal education opportunity with similar experiences

Therefore resolve that: • SADTU should develop a concept document on what an ideal school and subject that to further research;

o. Government Employee Medical Scheme (GEMS)

Noting that: • Resolution 1 of 2006 exists and SADTU never signed it • Members are experiencing very serious administrative and financial challenges about GEMS • The Union, as per Resolution, is unable to assist members with the challenges that they are facing with regard to GEMS’s administration.

Believing that: • Members will be financially exploited by the employer through this “maladministration”

Therefore resolve that: • Resolution 1 of 2006 should be improved such that it benefits the members • 66.6% subsidy should be retained across the board irrespective of the number of your dependants. • We reiterate National Congress of 2010, resolution 4.15

Mover: Western Cape Seconded: All Provinces

p. Education Wellness

(Refer to Education, Gender and Labour Policy Conference recommendations on same)

Noting that: • SADTU is an Education Worker Union that is promoting and maintaining high standards of ethical conduct, professional integrity and efficient teaching standards • Workers are faced with protracted sicknesses and we are losing members, knowledgeable educators and experienced educators because of various

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physical and psychological conditions. • Lack of Social and Collective support and dejection often leads some to abuse of alcohol and objectionable conduct.

Believing that: • It is the directive of SADTU to assist members to recover from these conditions or at least to make circumstances and persona in relation with the Profession tolerable. • There is a need for an enthusiastic membership wellness programmes within the union. • The current Teaching environment impacts enormously on teachers and often results in low productivity levels and comprehended frustrations sometimes leads to incapacity and ultimately to misconduct.

Therefore resolve that: • SADTU should strengthen its wellness programme through adequate staffing capacity building. • Partner with the Department of Education in joined programmes and further collaborate with the Department of Health and Social Development.

Mover: Northern Cape Seconded: All Provinces

23. ADJOURNMENT

The NGC at 19:10 stood adjourned.

DAY THREE: SUNDAY 27 OCTOBER 2013

Open Session: Chairperson - Cde Magope Maphila, Deputy President

The Deputy President opened the meeting.

23. SADTU DECLARATION

Cde Mugwena Maluleke, General Secretary, presented the NGC Declaration that was unanimously adopted by NGC. (See the 2013 NGC Declaration: Annexure)

Mover: General Secretary Seconder: Limpopo, Northern Cape, Western Cape, North West, Free State, Mpumalanga Eastern Cape., KwaZulu Natal, Carried

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24. CLOSING REMARKS

The Deputy President closing remarks were as follows

• The last past three days were wonderful, the delegates were governable and well behaved. The NGC came out with a declaration that states what the NGC was about.

• Regarding unity, he quoted OR as follows ‘’We did not tear ourselves apart even when unity of the African National Congress was endangered; we had to foster it, let’s preserve it:’’ The Deputy President went on to indicate that even when the ANC had challenges among themselves they were able to come out as a united force.

• The Deputy President wished SADTU a happy 23 Years. Unity was vital, NGC should preserve it.

• The ANC has spoken, so has COSATU and the SACP; their messages were clearly captured in the NGC declaration. Amongst the issues they touched on was that let the due processes at hand, both in COSATU and within SADTU.

• The President thanked the delegates for being well behaved under difficult circumstances as well as giving the NEC an opportunity for giving them an opportunity to lead through the difficult motion.

• This was the last National General Council before 2014 Congress of SADTU. Their deeds speak for them, they have traversed the length and breadth of South Africa in implementing the resolutions. The union has serviced it members, the union has created a learning nation and promoted a developmental orientated nation state. The union has created international partnerships and continues to build a delivery based organization.

• NGC delegates should go out there and tell the good story of the ANC in the past years of improving the lives of the people. The must mobilize learners in schools, universities, FETs and communities and make sure that they mobilize for a landslide victory of the ANC in the 2014 general elections.

26. CLOSURE

The NGC terminated at 10:30, on Sunday, 27 October 2013. The President thanked delegates for their input and wished them a safe journey home.

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NATIONAL GENERAL COUNCIL MESSAGES

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KEYNOTE ADDRESS: East Rand to delegitimize our union and use it’s structures as a launch pad to form their CDE MAGOPE MAPHILA – own version of AMCU in the public sector, 2 major events being International Women’s SADTU DEPUTY PRESIDENT Day and World Teachers Day were organised and members came in their multitudes.

Let us clarify as we start this address, com- They showed that they love their union, rades that it is not by coincidence that have confidence in the leadership and are when this union was first launched in 1990 not willing to be used by these unholy ele- at Sherworld in Johannesburg we had ap- ments. This is a region in which we were told proximately 30 000 members and 23yrs is a no go area for the national office but later, we are standing at 260 000 mem- from the evidence we have picked up, the bers and still counting. It is due to the hard opposite is the truth, it is in fact a no go work that we have put in as members of area for the aspirant, opportunistic & par- the union and of course as the saying goes asitic public sector AMCU which we doubt mintiro ya vhula vhula, our work speaks for will even ever make it into the collective its self. bargaining chambers. In our secretariat report, we will highlight We are clear that this is nothing but a vigi- the major programmes that we have im- lante grouping of disgruntled former lead- plemented since the last NGC. We will re- ers and we will not lose even a second port on the SADTU Curtis Nkondo Institute of sleep over their existence. They are a for Professional Teacher Development, an non- issue and we will never elevate them institute through which we have already but they must be strongly warned against delivered numerous development pro- using our name and logo to convene their grammes for our members. clandestine meetings, our patience is NOT unlimited!!! These include the School Management Team development programme, intend- For the past 23 years we have been right at ed to empower school managers who are the coal face of the struggles of education our members with the required skills to lead workers. We have fought and won many their sites. The message that we are send- battles related to our conditions of service ing as we advance our 2030 vision is that and consistently fought for the right of the SADTU wants to be part of the solution, it is African working class child to access quali- our revolutionary obligation to do so. ty public education. We were pleased with how despite cam- This, we will continue to do, which is pre- paigns by former regional leaders in the cisely the reason we took the fight to the

74 BOOK 1 PROGRAMMES/AGENDA/MINUTES/RESOLUTIONS National General Council (NGC) employer in defence of collective bargain- first step in the revolution by the working ing, a hard fought right of the working class. class is... to win the battle of democracy.” Let there be no mistake at the outset of this We cannot afford to be complacent how- NGC: South Africa is still fully engaged in a ever comrades, an honest fact is that we serious National Democratic Revolution. All are faced with challenges that must be of us are in this NDR, and the only way out confronted head on without any fear or of it for us, is to win it and we must be clear favour. about that. This is what the membership expects from Defeat at this stage is unthinkable. But it us and we dare not fail them. Some of the is possible. Defeat is possible, if there is no key characteristics that we must display to discipline. The operative word in National make sure that not only do we survive but Democratic Revolution is “Democratic”. thrive as a union are organisational disci- Everything about the NDR leads to democ- pline, which will feature strongly in this ad- racy, because democracy is the only way dress. to form the national will. Democracy is the This is a non-negotiable that has to be cen- only way to unity. Without unity in action, tral to our daily existence. Vultures from we cannot win this, or any battle. outside and within our organisation are fly- SADTU is the Democratic Teachers’ Union. ing low - just above our heads - because “Democratic” is not just a word, or a dec- they have already predicted our demise. oration that we award ourselves. It is the They are pro- actively working towards it. heart of the matter. If we are not demo- Only through organisational discipline and cratic, we are nothing. Equally we must respect for our own constitution can we grasp the idea that organizational dis- defeat these wolves in sheep skins. cipline and democracy are not possible In all the years of the struggle for national without each other. Everything depends liberation, a struggle which still continues, upon organisational discipline. Without or- we have upheld the following slogan “Dis- ganisational discipline, there is no democ- cipline is the mother of victory”. If we also racy. Taken together, we usually call this used to say that “Victory Is Certain”, then democratic centralism. it was only because we were sure that our Democratic centralism means that the de- discipline was strong. And it was indeed cisions taken by the membership are bind- strong because it had to be. ing. That is democracy in a nutshell. In The requirement for organisational dis- SADTU’s Constitution, for example, we say cipline has not gone away. It has to be that “The National Congress shall be the su- strong. It is not optional. Comrades, there preme governing body of the Union”. is no way to separate one part of our revo- Comrades at this stage, just to provide lutionary theory and practice from another more clarity, I want to refer to the opposite part. of democracy, which is factionalism. Our theory and our practice are woven into The following is from an article in the latest one indivisible revolutionary cloth. There edition of “Umrabulo”, the theoretical jour- are no parts of our revolutionary theory and nal of our liberation movement, the African practice that are merely “nice to have”, or National Congress. It is by Comrade Than- that can be left aside because some of us do Ntlemeza, in an article entitled;“In pur- are feeling lazy or it is rather convenient for suit of unity and cohesion”. them at that particular moment to do so. Concerning factionalism, Cde Ntlemeza Karl Marx and Frederick Engels, in the Com- writes: “Factionalism requires members to munist Manifesto of 1848, wrote that: “the be more loyal to the factions than to the

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organisation. Hence leaders and members the organization and the structures to fully of factions are even prepared to act in a rally behind it. manner that threatens the existence of the organisation they claim to cherish. Exercise of power does not depend merely on the will of those who give the orders, but The comrade goes further and says “Fac- is based on the interests and on the opin- tion loyalists do not believe that the rev- ions expressed by the majority. All decisions olution can be entrusted in the hands of taken by higher structures are binding on all the people who are not members of their lower structures and individual members. factions. In the same context we have to strongly This means that factionalism produces speak against those branches and regions members who regard themselves as ‘su- who wrote to the national office after the per revolutionaries’ who are ordained to special NEC of the union had taken a de- influence the direction of the organisation, cision to suspend the president demanding even if their approaches have a potential that we rescind the decision. Such a be- of pulling the organisation to the bottom- havior, clearly oblivious of our constitution less abyss of self-destruction.” and structures as a union cannot be toler- ated. This is a view that is profound in its nature and we can learn from it. Let us not shy Undermining the collective wisdom of a away from mentioning that the features national leadership structure is tantamount of factionalism as accurately articulated to undermining our very existence as an or- have already made their way into our own ganization, if we start ignoring all forms of ranks. protocol within the union, we might as well close shop because as an organization we Comrades my task is to remind you of what would have ran our natural course. we are here to do, and of the rules that constrain us all, while we are here, and af- Comrades, this is not a spaza shop and at- terwards. We are a union, and it should not tempts to turn it into one must be defeat- be a surprise to any of us, that this union ed. We have a constitution that must reign demands unity. supreme, we have organizational processes that we must all abide by and we must We are here to act out the power of SADTU never apologize for that. Our constitution is to make its decisions, and we are deter- who we are, it is what makes us SADTU, a mined to defend that power. SADTU will teachers’ union and not any other organi- defend the integrity of your decisions, even zation. I want to emphasise that it must - at against the actions of its own officers, if that all times - reign supreme because without it should ever prove to be necessary. we are direction less. It therefore goes without saying that when Consistency is another key feature that the union’s structures take decisions such we want to touch as we open this NGC. as that to defend collective bargaining, all The decision to suspend the President of the members and indeed the leadership the Union pending an investigation was must advance them. It cannot be correct by no means an easy one. In its collective and we will say this without any fear of con- wisdom a Special sitting of the National Ex- tradiction for leaders to be selective about ecutive Committee felt that such a move which Union programmes and/or cam- was necessitated by certain prevailing cir- paigns to advance. cumstances which we are not at liberty to When we took a decision in the last NGC to discuss at this stage. defend collective bargaining the expecta- This decision was then communicated to tion was for all the leaders at every level of the members as best as we could through

76 BOOK 1 PROGRAMMES/AGENDA/MINUTES/RESOLUTIONS National General Council (NGC) our structures. We are aware that a mi- There has been attempts to redistribute the nority of our structures went on a deliber- land since the dawn of democracy but ate misinformation campaign and misled there is consensus that a lot more needs members on the ground about the cir- to be done to ensure speedy land reform. cumstances surrounding the suspension. Tangible progress needs to be made as a matter of urgency and we must continue What we are failing to understand is the to support the ANC in its attempts to ad- impression being created by some that this dress this rather complicated yet emotion- is the very first time in our 23 years of exis- al and topical matter. tence that we are faced with such challenges. The former President of the Union, What we must be weary of though is adopt- Willie Madisha was suspended by a special ing a populist stance and articulating views NEC in 2007. Our very own Cde Thulas Nxesi that will achieve nothing but stir up the now a serving cabinet minister and the in- emotions of the landless poor. cumbent General Secretary Cde Mugwe- na Maluleke were themselves also faced Whilst we completely agree that it is a na- with investigations and at no point did they tional imperative to address the land ques- use their positions to mobilize members tion substantially, populist demagoguery against those processes. must not find expression in our discourse. These comrades subjected themselves to We have already established that there the supremacy of the constitution. It can are those both within and outside the mass never be correct therefore to pretend as democratic movement who are obsessed if it is a never been seen before phenom- with stirring up emotions and poisoning the enon to put leaders on suspension and/or environment instead of working on finding investigation. solutions. It is just not acceptable for us now to be These backward elements have adopt- confronted with leaders who are pro-ac- ed a similar attitude towards the National tively working against the constitution and Development Plan, they have adopted a effectively the union itself. I repeat, the rejectionist posture and instead of offering constitution must at all material times reign solutions or better alternatives have opted supreme without any fear or favour. to reject everything in the 400 pages plus plan. At a macro level and to step off organizational matters for a few minutes, we want In our view, the plan is not cast in stone, it to touch on some socio-economic matters is a living document and we must engage that council must guide the membership on it with a view to find common ground on. on the areas that we may differ on. SADTU has already made its views known on cer- Comrades you are aware that this is the tain sections of the document like Educa- 100th year since the infamous 1913 Natives tion and the Economy but we did not have Land Act was passed into law, an act that to be bravado and exhibitionist in how we was meant to regulate the acquisition of registered these. land by non-Europeans in South Africa thus effectively stripping us of what rightfully be- We still firmly believe in the legitimacy of longed to us. the tripartite alliance and know the correct channels to follow in registering our views. This act was designed to reduce our fore fa- We thus want to re-affirm our support for thers and their descendants to pariahs on the African National Congress as we move the land of their birth. The effects of this act towards the 2014 national general elec- are tangible to this day and have passed tions. on from one generation to the next.

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We are calling upon all the members of between you and the next man ,between the union to rally behind the black, green group and another, a man who goes and yellow, spear and shield banner of the around creating splits and division. Beware African National Congress, our ANC. Those of the wedge driver comrades. Watch his who want to blackmail us with leaving the poisonous tongue”. alliance must stop with the threats and go We will do just well without them, better There are all sorts of reasons why we must fewer, but better!!! remain united my comrades. Let us make do with one, for now. It is this: If you are As we conclude this opening address, we not united you are going to be weak and want to send a strong appeal to all mem- poorer. Disunity is something you will direct- bers to take a firm stand against the emerg- ly feel in your pockets and handbags my ing trend of tribalism and to a certain ex- comrades. tent, regionalism as well. Beware of the wedge driver!!! We must at all times remain united and not allow backward thinking to derail us. Our Comrades we want to wish you a fruitful continued existence relies on this. Let us not National General Council, let us deliberate allow ourselves to be party to the prolifera- on policy matters, let us provide leader- tion of a divided society, we are teachers, ship in our sector knowing that we are one we are expected to mould young minds SADTU!!! and if we create tribal and regional barriers amongst ourselves, then our problems as a country are bigger than we think. AMANDLA!!!! Our forefathers fought very hard battles to remove the artificial barriers that were put between us by colonial forces. Lives were lost, families were broken, let us notbetray their legacy. Those that call the NEC derogatory names and print t-shirts with faces of certain leaders claiming to be defending them against their very own union must know that they are taking us 100 steps backwards. As we said earlier, our patience is NOT unlimited; our silence must never be misconstrued for cowardice. We must remain united as an organization. We must heed a call made by OR Tambo when he closed the Morogoro conference in 1969: “Wage a relentless war against disrupters and defend the ANC against provocateurs and enemy agents. Defend the revolution against enemy propaganda, whatever form it takes. Be vigilant comrades. The enemy is vigilant. Beware of the wedge driver, the man who creeps from ear to ear, carrying a bag full of wedges , driving them

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MESSAGE OF SUPPORT: vision of national liberation and the struggle for socialism COMRADE THULAS NXESI SACP DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON As SADTU, you always saw the bigger picture and you were a leading part of that wider movement for national liberation, and after 1994 for transformation Comrade President Leadership of SADTU – national, provincial, Since 1994, as the Alliance and ANC-led regions and from the branches government: Invited guests and representatives of the Alliance • we have built a universal, free and Fellow educators compulsory education system; Comrades • we have extended schooling to include Grade R;

Let me begin with revolutionary greetings • we have doubled the number of from the 13th Congress Central Committee university students and graduates, and of the South African Communist Party. • we currently feed 9 million school I always say that it is good to come home. children daily. SADTU was my mentor for 20 years. SADTU trained me and educated me – both in Building on these solid foundations, we organisational skills, and politically – and look to the teachers of South Africa – in together, as the teachers of South Africa, partnership with government, learners, we built, for the first time, a mighty non- parents and communities – to continue racial, democratic teachers’ union. to focus their efforts on building quality learning and teaching. SADTU was built on the following pillars: • Democratic, worker-controlled, In the time available I want to briefly cover militant trade unionism; the following: • Professionalism – understood to • The second phase of transition mean the need to transform the • The Red October Campaign education system and to build People’s Education, whilst delivering • The need for disciplined unity, and quality education to all our children, • The way forward towards elections and in 2014 • A political commitment to a wider

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1. The programme of the ANC and the much aware of the lack of controls – and Alliance going forward: The Second Phase we have been working to finalise a set of of Transition Norms and Standards to control spending in relation to ministers’ housing. This will go At Mangaung, as the ANC and the Alliance into the revised Ministerial Handbook that we said that we need to intensify our efforts Minister Gordhan spoke about. to achieve a radical transformation in the second phase of transition – where the focus • The 1913 Native Land Act and the Land is on social and economic empowerment Question of all our people. Comrades, it is exactly 100 years since the Crucially, this includes the following: passage of the infamous Native Land Act when 87% of the land – including all the • Combating fraud and corruption; best farming land – was reserved to whites. • As part of our national democratic revolution: The DA believes that racial oppression • addressing the land question; and ended in 1994. From the side of the SACP, we would say: ‘It’s more complicated than • Driving economic growth and job that. Political exclusion was only one facet creation. of the national oppression of black people. The many ways in which black people • Combating fraud and corruption were discriminated against, held back and denied opportunities – also have to be We need to enforce zero tolerance of fraud addressed – including the Land.’ and corruption – and reject tenderpreneurs – both within the broader society and The SACP welcomes government’s government. intention to move with speed towards the establishment of the Land Management I am pleased to be able to report that in Commission and the Land Valuer-General the Department of Public Works we have Office, so that we can do away with the made serious progress in combating fraud practices of inflating land prices caused by and corruption. As a result of investigations the “willing buyer, willing seller” principle – by the SIU (Special Investigations Unit) we and fast-track land reform. have been able to move against corrupt elements – dismissing senior staff members By the way, comrades, we may be able to and instigating court action to reclaim learn something from the agrarian model monies wrongly obtained. adopted by our Zimbabwean neighbours – essentially breaking down large-scale We are saying to the criminals: you can run farms and promoting more intensive small- but you can’t hide. scale farming. Comrades, I am sure that you were as This is not a call for an illegal land grab. In happy as I was with the Finance Minister’s South Africa we have a constitution which Medium-Term Budget Policy Speech this recognises and facilitates the process of week – in relation to clamping down on land restitution. (Chapter 2: Bill of Rights; perks and wasteful spending of politicians section 25: Property). The constitution also and senior officials. We cannot justify some requires that we pass a new Expropriation of this spending – especially when many of Act to govern this process. our people still live in poverty. The Department of Public Works is As Minister of Public Works I have been very responsible for this piece of legislation. It will

80 BOOK 1 PROGRAMMES/AGENDA/MINUTES/RESOLUTIONS National General Council (NGC) come as no surprise to you to hear that it is to address all infrastructure, maintenance being opposed at every turn by the DA. and services backlogs.

At this stage in our national democratic SIP 13: Education – to build new schools revolution we define ourselves by our – initially focusing on the replacement approach to the Land Question and the of mud schools in the Eastern Cape. Expropriation Bill: you either support an Also, upgrading of schools – 100 in each orderly and constitutional process of land province per year – through the Schools reform – or you continue to defend privilege Beautification Programme. and vested interests. Going forward, government has • Infrastructure: driving economic growth announced a Four Trillion Rand (Trillion = and jobs 1000 x 1 million) infrastructure roll-out to drive economic growth and job creation. As we move towards elections in 2014, it is inevitable that we will debate the record 2. Red October of the present leadership of the ANC in government. And it is right and proper that Red October Campaign – by the way I am we do this. talking about the real Red October, not the attempt of some reactionary whites I would argue that in key areas of economic to hijack the name of Red October for policy we have seen significant shifts – with narrow ethnic (racist) purposes – to protest the objective of combating poverty and how they are being oppressed by a black inequality and creating jobs. government. They have no idea what real oppression is! I have personal experience and knowledge as a member of the PICC (Presidential In the Red October Campaign, comrades, Infrastructure Coordinating Council) of the we are going back to two important National Infrastructure Plan to drive inclusive themes that we have campaigned about economic growth and development; and in the past: to lead the struggle against the triple evils • the financial sector campaign, of poverty, unemployment and inequality. • and the land campaign. Major long-term Strategic Integrated Projects (SIPs) have been developed to The Financial Sector Campaign promote regional economies and job creation. Examples include: Our original financial sector campaign brought us a number of gains: SIP1: [convened by the Minister of Public • the original credit amnesty; Works] aims to unlock SA’s northern mineral belt centred in Limpopo through key • progressive legislation in the form infrastructure provision in Waterberg and of a National Credit Act and the National Credit Regulator (NCR) Steelpoort districts, initiate new energy and which monitors the mainstream industrial development, develop a new financial players, as well as dealing city around Lephalale, shift coal transport with the illegal activities of the from road to rail in Mpumalanga and Mashonisas. increase rail capacity to Richards Bay whilst supporting regional integration. • the launch of the Mzansi account, a product that has reached up to 10 SIP6: Integrated Municipal Infrastructure million initially unbanked, mainly the Project – to assist the least resourced districts poor and the working class.

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• we now have Automatic Teller leadership of the national liberation Machines (ATMs) in many townships. movement led by the ANC • Above all unity of this mighty Alliance This year, our Red October Campaign on which delivered political freedom in the Financial Sector will renew the struggle 1994 – and which remains the only to defend the gains made, hold financial vehicle capable of deepening the institutions to account, and to protect the national democratic revolution and interests of working people. In particular we delivering real social and economic are pushing for implementation of the new emancipation to all our people. credit amnesty. We forget this simple truth at our peril. Unity Comrades, the first task is to strengthen the can never be taken for granted comrades organisational capacity and presence of – it has to be constantly guarded and the Financial Sector Campaign Coalition nurtured. (FSCC) in leading these struggles. This means that we have to mobilise activists, The bourgeois media derives great the trade union movement, the alliance satisfaction from reporting on divisions within and progressive NGOs and Community our movement – and those comrades who Based organisations to play an active role rush to the media to attack other comrades in the affairs of the FSCC. – or who provide anonymous leaks – they fall right into the hands of our enemies. Land and Agrarian Reform On this issue of unity, the Mangaung Comrades, I have spoken about the Land Conference confounded our enemies. Question – in relation to the Second Phase In the best traditions of the Alliance, the of Transition. AS the SACP we know seek national liberation movement united to implement on the ground as part of the behind elected leadership and an agreed Red October Campaign. programme. Our job is to now implement that programme. We now have the critical task of building local people’s land committees The current state of COSATU which amongst others must focus on comprehensive rural development, with a The SACP reaffirms the critical importance particular emphasis on building a women’s of trade union independence, we need a rural movement. militant, and robust trade union movement – not a conveyor belt for Alliance partners, Our interventions must also seek to or for the ANC-led government. Militant strengthen the presence of the progressive union independence, however, should trade union movement amongst the not be confused with a liberal notion of workers in the agricultural sector. sustained anti-governmental opposition. We call on COSATU to get its house in order 3. Unity and Discipline - but it is COSATU itself that must do this.

As trade unionists we say “Unity is Strength”. Any factional interference from outside, A very simple truth, comrades: whether it be from the ANC or the SACP – • Unity of our organisations or from media and NGOs - will not assist. We say: HANDS OFF COSATU! We say COSATU • Unity of the working class – under must be given the time, space and respect the leadership of the federation and by ALL of US outside of the federation to the SACP deal with its own internal issues. • Unity of the oppressed – under the

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Discipline to form another teachers’ union must be exposed, and leadership must go to the Comrades, we maintain unity by ground to engage and explain the position maintaining discipline: to members. • For teachers this means maintaining the highest ethical and professional 4. The 2014 elections standards; • Where it is alleged that comrades The last CC of the SACP pledged its full do not maintain these standards, support to the ANC-led election campaign. then they must be subjected to a disciplinary hearing and due As we prepare for elections in 2014, I like process. to make the following points – especially to • When allegations were made the ‘Doubting Thomases’: against myself, some years ago when I was GS of SADTU, COSATU First, it is your right and duty to criticise was requested to carry out an government officials and representatives investigation and hearing – which was convened by COSATU NOBs led when we do not deliver. I would urge you by its General Secretary Cde Vavi. It to do this through the Alliance structures was necessary that I go through that and through Ward committees. process in order to clear my name. I would be the first to admit that mistakes Not long ago, when there were allegations have been made. A large part of my job as in relation to SIHOLD which was led by Cde Minister of Public Works is exactly to address Maluleka (the then National Treasurer) as these mistakes, to investigate wrong-doing chair of the board, and myself as a board and to root out the tenderpreneurs and member – we were subjected to a forensic corrupt elements. The same process is audit. We complied and we had nothing happening in other departments. to fear. Thirdly, and this is the most important point: Many leaders - Slovo Majola, Lindelwa never forget that it was the Alliance – led Dunjwa - were also suspended and by the ANC – which after decades of subjected to the same processes; Comrade struggle and sacrifice – brought down the Peter Malepe (then acting President cruel Apartheid regime. of COSATU) was also investigated; so was Joe Nkosi the 1st V.P. of COSATU. That same Alliance – ANC, SACP and These are internal procedures and COSATU – remains the only vehicle that processes prescribed by the constitution is capable of taking forward our national of the organisation. It is quite normal, and democratic revolution to ensure that in the disciplined comrades comply. second phase of our transition we deliver real economic and social transformation to Even when comrades are found guilty of all our people. charges, we require that they maintain discipline. It is opportunistic and completely I thank you. unacceptable when such comrades then threaten to break away from the union Viva SADTU! for their own personal gain – effectively dividing workers against each other, and weakening their ability to engage with the management. Such elements must be exposed. Anybody in SADTU who wants

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MESSAGE OF SUPPORT: at times as he gave account of close to 30 years of the exile of our movement. ANC NEC MEMBER: CDE He said we had to foster unity among our MALUSI GIGABA people and within our movement at all times and that in bleak moments even in bleak moments we never doubted the This National General Council meets during inevitability of victory. We had no doubt interesting times. To start with, in two days’ about the winning of freedom. This message time we will be remembering the birthday must reverberate in our ears as we consider of the late and long serving President of our the business of this NGC, the challenges Movement, President Oliver Tambo who led facing COSATU and the tasks before the our movement with distinction and brought people of South Africa as a whole. it back into the country united and intact. Never has the need for unity and confidence It makes sense therefore that as we start in the inevitability of victory been as our deliberations; the ANC brings this important as it is at this present moment National General Council a message of when all around us the opportunists, the unity as well as fraternal greetings. Over pessimists, our opponents and the counter time we have come to understand the revolution itself are telling us that what we importance of unity in the execution of have achieved over the last 19 years has the struggle because the unity of our been nothing and that this revolution faces movement is the basis upon which we can an inevitable doom. unite the social motive forces, they stand to Some amongst these even had the benefit objectively from the success of the audacity to go to foreign platforms to democratic revolution we are prosecuting. speak ill about our country. To tell foreign Over many years our leadership has audiences that South Africa is doomed, focused on the singular goal of the unity of that because of the challenges that we our movement in the understanding that face including in the education system this without it we would dissipate our energies country has no future. The question begs to and scatter our forces in all directions, the be asked if you go to raise money overseas result would be the victory of the counter why use the name of Oliver Tambo? revolution. The question begs to be asked, if you go to I remind you this afternoon of the important foreign audiences seeking donor funding message of President Tambo when he why speak ill of our country and demean opened the national conference in the progress we have made in such a short Durban in 1991; he said that we did not tear period of time as a nation to move ourselves ourselves apart because of lack of progress

84 BOOK 1 PROGRAMMES/AGENDA/MINUTES/RESOLUTIONS National General Council (NGC) from the clutches of apartheid colonialism? one of the most crippling economic crisis To this moment we are confident that the since the Second World War and that is national democratic revolution is on a sure their creation. course to victory. You just don’t hear them come to our It might sound awkward but we have seen shores to tell us how bad they are and that this before when some NGO’s go to foreign their mismanagement of their economies audiences seeking donor funding and have racked and ruined the lives of billions they say all manner of things about what of working people in the world. They don’t poor governance we have in Africa, about come to tell us that their health policies what bad leadership we have, how we are have created crisis all over the world and being decimated by all manner of diseases not only in their own countries such as the and how they alone amidst a hoard of us shutdown in the US fighting over health who are backward savages must be given policies that must be expanded to those donor funding in order to come and save who have no access to quality health. us. You don’t hear Americans come to us to say The interesting thing is that you never to us they are such a bad, bad people but hear European or American politicians we go to them and tell them what a bad coming to our country to speak ill about people we are. We don’t say to them that their countries and continents and the fact we have introduced the National Health is very simple, they don’t need funding Insurance thus giving a guarantee to the from us, we need it from them. We must poor of our country that to be poverty is go and place ourselves in humiliation not a death sentence. in front of these audiences, speak ill of We don’t say to them that because of the ourselves, poke fun at ourselves, deny our infrastructure development programme own progress and in the process our own we are implementing, two new universities humanity because there is no way you can are being erected in this country. Our road, humiliate yourself in front of a foreigner and rail, ports, pipelines, water infrastructure is not lose your humanity. expanding and the jobs will grow as a result But they do so not because there’s of this with skills being developed. something particularly or so fatally wrong We don’t say to them that over the last with us, but because they seek funding to 19 years we have provided financial aid, come and pursue their agenda. They go to grants and bursaries to black learners who audiences that are already sceptical of us. otherwise would never have access to The differences between us and the further and higher education, we have audiences that these people address are massified our higher education system and fundamental. It’s not small time differences as a result there has been a 53% growth about governance or about the leadership, in the number of teachers with university it is fundamental differences about the qualifications. different perspectives we represent, the We do not tell them that we are making types of a future we want and the types of progress despite the problems we are future that they want for us. facing and even our annual national That is why they are ready, once they have assessment is showing improvement in the been fed the negative news to then open reading and arithmetic capabilities of our up their bank balances and provide all children, we don’t say that, we just simply the funding required. You don’t see them say South Africa is a mess. doing the same thing with us. Let us bear in mind that the audiences we They created 2 world wars and centuries of are talking to overseas want to hear exactly colonialism. We live today in the midst of that message. They don’t want to hear

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about the progress of a revolution led by the ANC, the movement for liberation and us because they can’t believe that we can on the other hand all manner of right wing govern ourselves. That’s why every time we and opportunist formations. Some of them get told about the many bad things taking portray themselves as militant but those place on our continent and very little of us who belong in the ANC know what about how this continent has transformed militancy is. Those of us who belong in the and how seven of the ten fastest growing ANC know that you cannot be a member economies are in Africa. of the ANC and not be militant. Those of us who belong in the ANC know that you cannot resolve the problems We are the fastest growing population of apartheid colonialism without being and we are a continent that has recorded militant because colonialism can never be continuously against a gloomy global reformed, you can’t tinker with it. economic situation continuous growth in our GDP. Our economic growth rates are That is why it was important for us to growing rapidly but we don’t hear about overthrow the system of minority rule and that. then to begin to disentangle it and turn it on its head, that is why from the outset we But I am saying to you we have got a good advance the idea of a national democratic story to tell. revolution. That is why from 1955 the ANC When we go into next year’s election and put forward a programme not only for celebrate the 20 years of the freedom of political freedom but for socio economic our country we will have a good story to tell emancipation. our people. A story of how a country in 19 That is why even in our constitution in the years of freedom could provide electricity bill of rights you’ve got socio economic to more households than over 300 years of rights because we believed that freedom colonialism could ever do. must be embedded in the society we are We have given more South African’s light building after apartheid. than all colonial governments ever did There are challenges, yes, but those during the more than 300 years of their challenges will be resolved. They will be governance or rather mis-governance. We resolved because our movement is not a have given more people and more children five yearly movement. access to education than the apartheid system ever did and we have provided our The ANC doesn’t exist because there are people with clean water. elections; the ANC existed decades before there were elections. This is the movement We have given them houses, when we that we will place before the people came in 1994 there were about 1.2 million of South Africa next year, it is their own people who needed houses and as we movement. speak today we’ve provided over 3.5 million houses. We acknowledge that we make mistakes and we must show remorse for the mistakes We’ve got a good story to tell. We must go we have made because in the process of out to tell our people that this movement struggle mistakes are made and mistakes as we will be placing it at their disposal in are corrected by the very people who next year’s election is not just one among made those mistakes. many. When you open your wardrobe you see a lot of shirts and you must decide A revolutionary movement such as ours which one of these white shirts I must wear. which has lived over 100 years understands very well the importance of admitting your In the coming elections the choice that our mistakes and correcting them. We are clear people face is between the movement however that only arm chair revolutionaries

86 BOOK 1 PROGRAMMES/AGENDA/MINUTES/RESOLUTIONS National General Council (NGC) don’t commit mistakes because they We must not allow that to happen however conduct revolutions in their own heads. and we must stand in firm defence of COSATU and the unity of the federation. We don’t try to conduct a perfect revolution Let us stand in firm defence of the unity or to create a perfect society because we of SADTU and other affiliates particularly know that in the course of conducting this the NUM which today faces a massive revolution mistakes will be made. We know onslaught where its members are being that in the course of creating this society mobilised through the barrel of the gun we are creating; mistakes will be made. But and chased out of the NUM by gunfire and we also know that we must be the first to death. admit our mistakes and to correct them. We need to defend our movement now We need to strengthen our movement and more than ever as we cannot allow the convey to our people a message that is majority of the ANC to drop. We must explain very clear which is, we don’t exist because to our people the dangers of reducing there’s elections once in five years. We the ANC support in the elections because don’t seek their vote so that our mandate that will set the transformation programme starts at the beginning of five years and back by decades. We will constantly have ends at the end of five years rather we are to go to our opponents, the opponents of the same movement which carried them to the fundamental transformation we are freedom and we are the same movement executing to seek their support for any which stood side by side with them as they forward movement. struggled against the brutal system. We must make our people understand the We are the same movement that over the fatal danger of allowing the opponents of last 19 years working together with them change to even gain a foothold hence has made South Africa a better place, a over the coming months all members of better country to live in, it is a matter of fact the ANC must put aside everything else that 19 years later South Africa is a better and focus on the overwhelming victory of country and that together with our people our movement. we’ve achieved enormous progress. That is the task before all of us and that is We call on all members of the ANC to fold the message we carry. None of us must their sleeves, put on their yellow T-shirts and think others will work for you or that the ANC go to the ground and talk to our people with was preordained to lead this country but it humility. No member or leader of the ANC, is because of its humility and hard work, our COSATU, the SACP or SANCO, no leader of bravery and courage and in the battle our any of these organisations or one of must people learnt to trust us. be allowed to stand on public platforms to ask people not to vote for the ANC, this Not on a single day did the ANC abandon must also apply to leaders of the various its people as they faced difficulties and it affiliates of COSATU. We must defeat that will not do so now or in future. The ANC and agenda by presenting the ANC to our the people of South Africa are one and the people as it is; a proud movement, a brave ANC is the hope that our children will have and courageous leader of the masses a future. So long as it leads, they and their but a leader that makes mistakes and is children will certainly have a future. humble enough to admit them. That’s what We wish you well in your NGC. teachers must do, that’s what members of the ANC must do. Our opponents wish Amandla!!!!! to see us drop in numbers and they’re working hard every day to infiltrate us, to split us from within and to see us implode like a volcano.

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The COSATU Central Executive Committee MESSAGE OF SUPPORT: said I must tell you and assure you that your federation COSATU is alive. The challenges we SDUMO DLAMININ – are going through are a sign that we are now ascending to the next higher level of maturity COSATU PRESIDENT where the organisation will not be centred on individuals but on its own principles, traditions and policies. As we start this address, lets remind you that you refused to bow to pressure when others were We want to tell you right from the onset that arguing that SADTU should just be a professional COSATU will not split. You must know that we association and you said we want SADTU to be will defend COSATU from both organisational a trade union because you defined yourselves and ideological threats, whether such threats as workers and today you have built this union are coming from outside or from within our own into a colossal fortress to which teachers run ranks. We will do so not out of hatred or malice when they are under attack. but out of conviction of our own principles, policies and traditions. It is you who have built SADTU into an organisation which represents an intellectual When we do so, we will not go to the television, reservoir where revolutionary ideas for the to the print media or even to the social media. transformation of education are generated. We will confront issues inside the organization, It is you the members who have made both finalise them and come out united to confront our enemies and foes alike to envy this great our primary enemy and our primary enemy is organisation which is decorated with stripes not the ANC or the SACP, as it is being projected of sustainable victories. Thank you for building from some quarters inside the federation but the SADTU into a real and complete revolutionary principal enemy of our revolution is monopoly- and a militant non-compromising union. capital and white- monopoly-capital in particular. You must continue to protect this organisation from any threat which may be coming from These constitute the real South African ruling anywhere, even from within; you must continue class. The power of this ruling class is rooted in to build this organisation into an organisation its ownership and control of the basic means that is known for its consistency to defend of production. The mines, the banks and major its founding principles and its respect for the industries such as forestry, petroleum, steel and principles of our movement and the revolution large segments of the wholesale and retail as a whole. sector, are dominated by monopolies.

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The dominant ideological expression of the Research also shows that key labour market enemy class is neo-liberalism. This ideological weaknesses that preceded the crisis have expression cannot be pigeon-holed in this remained acute or worsened, even in high- or that political party, but requires a more growth economies. For example, over nuanced analysis. The function of the neo- the past 5 years, the incidence of long- liberals is to protect the interests of white term unemployment which is the share of monopoly capitalism and imperialism. By de- unemployed persons out of work for 12 months regulating labour markets they seek to increase or more has increased in 60 per cent of the the rate of exploitation of the working class. advanced and developing economies.

By de-regulating financial markets they ensure Many workers have become discouraged and that monopoly capitalists can take profits in are no longer actively looking for a job. Labour and out of the country at will. By liberalising force participation rates decreased between trade they facilitate the integration of the 2007 and 2012 in more than half of the countries South African economy into the global chains analysed. In simple terms more and more of production, which limit the capacity of the people in the world have come to a conclusion country to industrialise. that capitalism cannot provide solutions to both their short- term and long-terms needs. People We characterise this force as the enemy have seen Capitalism for what it really is and because it is in its direct material interest to keep we have a responsibility to continue exposing the vast majority exploited, marginalised from this evil system. owning the means of production, oppressed and dominated. These days it has become Just yesterday we learnt that even as the important that we clarify ourselves about who wages of working people sink, the incomes our enemy so that we can be able to develop of the super-rich continue to soar, buttressed appropriate strategies to engage the enemy by a surging stock market driven by massive and advance our course without wrongly cash infusions from the Federal Reserve Bank. seeing an enemy where there such does not At the peak of the economic crisis we learn that exist. the top ten highest-paid CEOs in the United States each received $100 million in 2012, We will return to this point later. Comrades according to a survey by GMI Ratings. Two this meeting is taking place at a time when chief executives each received over $1 billion, the world economic crisis remains stubborn and the combined pay of the top ten CEOs and deepening, particularly in the so called was $4.7 billion. developed countries and the working class is being pushed deeper and deeper into misery. We learn that in the US during the economic As this happens, and right at the peak of the crisis, the 400 richest people increased their crisis, capital continues to push the burden on wealth by 17 per cent in 2013, their collective to the working class as a way of saving the wealth rising from $1.7 trillion to just over $2 capitalist system from its crisis, whilst they create trillion. The wealth of these 400 individuals is better conditions for themselves to accumulate. more than twice the amount necessary to cover the federal budget deficit, which is being Research shows that at the global level, the used as the justification for slashing food stamps, number of unemployed people will continue to education, housing assistance, and health care increase unless policies change course. Global programs. unemployment is expected to approach 208 million in 2015, compared with slightly over 200 This is over and above what we read they million. received last year - when governments

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throughout the world were closing schools, mostly of financial assets and bank accounts laying off workers and slashing support to the but also including assets like mansions and poor, old and sick, the financial oligarchy that yachts, amounts to 44 percent of world GDP, or rules the world increased its wealth and power. $4,600 for every person on earth. This is a similar story in our own country that business is refusing The incomes of the top-earning bank CEOs grew to invest and hiding away about R1, 3 trillion. 12 percent last year, according to an analysis of the 15 largest global banks conducted by Compare this with the reality faced by the pay research group Equilar. These executives working people of the world, where research received an average of $12.8 million apiece, shows that more than 24 percent of Europe`s even though the stock values, earnings, and population, 121 million people, were living profits of most of the banks shrank. at risk of poverty and it is predicted that the number could rise by up to 25 million by 2025 The fact of the matter is that governments unless austerity policies are scrapped and an across the globe have bailed out these banks alternative course set. to the tune of trillions of dollars. They have massively subsidized these giant, privately- The world is confronted with the reality that owned financial institutions using tax payers` currently 165 million children globally are money, and they stand ready to rescue them chronically malnourished. This preventable again if and when necessary. condition has affected one in every four children at some point in their lives. Even this year we received another report showing that the top 100 richest people Malnutrition is the underlying cause of death controlled an aggregate $1.9 trillion as for 2.3 million children per year, an average of calculated by the prices on world stock markets one death every 15 seconds. Research shows December 31, for an average of nearly $20 that 38 percent of children from the least billion apiece. If the top 100 were a separate developed countries have had their growth state, their combined wealth would outstrip stunted by malnutrition. Malnourished children the gross domestic product of all but eight score 7 percent lower on maths tests and are countries. 19 percent less likely to be able to read by age They would rank behind Italy, but ahead of eight. India and Russia. Of course, being billionaire The poorest 40 percent are 2.8 times more likely capitalists, the top 100 don`t actually produce to suffer long-term effects of malnutrition than anything. They own, and they reap the benefits the richest 10 percent. of the labour of others. Beyond cognitive problems, other What is even worse is that the rich do not invest consequences of child malnutrition can include in their countries` economies but channel their lower self-esteem, self- confidence, and career wealth and hide it in tax havens, such as in the aspirations. The report noted that children who Cayman Islands, Cook Islands, Liechtenstein are malnourished make 20 percent less as and Bermuda, with the British Virgin Islands adults, amounting to a collective financial loss described as the “epicentre” of the hidden of $125 billion. wealth industry. These are the children you teach comrades. We know that the ultra-wealthy, banks and These are the children to which the world is corporations from around the globe have some supposed to invest on as the future of our $32 trillion US dollars of wealth hidden in off- countries. This is the generation which is angry shore tax havens. This hidden wealth, consisting and ready to take up the fight for their survival

90 BOOK 1 PROGRAMMES/AGENDA/MINUTES/RESOLUTIONS National General Council (NGC) and if we are not careful and if we continue of the oppressed classes burst forth. to be reckless they may also mistake us for the enemy. We need to see and seize the moment He pointed out that for a revolution to take which is being presented by these conditions of place, it is usually insufficient for `the lower the crisis of capitalism. classes not to want` to live in the old way; it is also necessary that `the upper classes should One comrade once pointed out that “the be unable` to live in the old way; (2) when the fundamental premise of a revolution is that the suffering and want of the oppressed classes existing social structure has become incapable have grown more acute than usual; (3) when, of solving the urgent problems of development as a consequence of the above causes, there of the nation. A revolution becomes possible, is a considerable increase in the activity of the however, only in case the society contains a masses, who uncomplainingly allow themselves new class capable of taking the lead in solving to be robbed in `peace time`, but, in turbulent the problems presented by history. times, are drawn both by all the circumstances of the crisis and by the `upper classes` The processes of preparing a revolution themselves into independent historical action.” consists of making the objective problems involved in the contradictions of industry and of It is therefore not surprising that there is turbulence classes find their way into the consciousness of all over the world, the occupy movement is a living human masses, change this consciousness product of this rising revolutionary situation. Our and create new correlation of human forces. people are looking for a way out.

The ruling classes, as a result of their practically It is also not surprising that in a research manifested incapacity to get the country out conducted in Russia by its Public Opinion of its blind alley, lose faith in themselves; the Foundation shows that about 60 percent of old parties fall to pieces; a bitter struggle of Russians believe there were more positives than groups and cliques prevails; hopes are placed negative aspects to life in the former Soviet in miracles or miracle workers. All this constitutes Union. They say communism represented good one of the political premises of a revolution, a and stable life for them, and praised the official very important although a passive one. Soviet era principle “From each according to their abilities, to each according to their needs.” “A bitter hostility to the existing order and a readiness to venture upon the most heroic When respondents were also asked to explain efforts and sacrifices in order to bring the what they might see as positive and negative country out upon an upward road - this is the aspects of the Soviet system. In response, 33 new political consciousness of the revolutionary percent credited it with good social security class, and constitutes the most important active guarantees, stability and good care of people, premise of a revolution”. 14 percent said it had been a system of justice and social equality, 9 percent said the Soviet Comrades Lenin was even more precise Union was a land of rule of law and discipline, when he pointed out that the symptoms of a 7 percent praised the country`s guaranteed revolutionary situation include among others employment, and another 7 percent claimed a situation (1) when it is impossible for the that people were more willing to help each ruling classes to maintain their rule without any other then than they are today. change; when there is a crisis, in one form or another, among the `upper classes`, a crisis in What is more interesting is that in this category of the policy of the ruling class, leading to a fissure people who saw more positives then negatives, through which the discontent and indignation 69 percent, which is the majority, were people

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aged 60 or more and 47 percent people aged The fact of the matter is that the very same between 18 and 30 which is mainly youth and people who say these things were also in the list this comrades is a sign of a the re- emergence towards Mangaung and some of them, we now of a new political consciousness which still be know have allowed their ANC membership to spearheaded by the new generation. lapse and not renewing their SACP membership in order to give themselves a licence to insult That is why comrades it is important for us from outside. to spend more time analyzing the crisis of capitalism so that we can provide appropriate And yet we are expected to consider such responses to inspire and give hope to our people individuals as revolutionaries when we know that there is still a way out. I must emphasize that revolutionaries are people who do not that these proposals which bring hope to the act out of convenience but are people who working class must always come from us. are driven by their conviction on principle and always act within the parameters of That is why comrades it is important that we organisational discipline which include raising prioritize our activities to maximize the blow issues of discontent inside the organisation. against the real enemy and not fictitious enemies where comrades even go to a point The other lie is to present the position of COSATU of killing each other for promotion posts, where on the National Development Plan as if COSATU comrades even go to a point of amassing has totally rejected the NDP. Comrades it is not resources from their union investment companies true. The fact of the matter is that the political to remains superior and to consolidate the plan commission mandated by the CEC met on the to liquidate their own comrades whom they 6th June 2013 crafted and agreed on COSATU`s see as an obstacle to their ambitions. position on the NDP and later had this as a proposal presented and adopted by the CEC. We should come forward and put facts where we see lies being peddled as Hitler COSATU position as of now with regard the NDP and Goebbels did in German when they said says that “COSATU together with our Alliance that “by means of shrewd lies, unremittingly partners has over many years advocated the repeated, it is possible to make people believe need for a long-term national planning process that heaven is hell -- and hell heaven...” and to guide the country`s development. that you must “use emotion for the many and reserve reason for the few”. They surely were not While we have serious concerns about the form aware that the world forces were at the same and content of the current National Planning time encircling them towards their permanent Commission and the 2030 Plan, we nevertheless defeat. still hold the view that such a planning process remains desirable and necessary to move the Part of the lies which are being peddled is that country forward, and that deficiencies in the those comrades who serve in the ANC NEC and current planning process need to be urgently in the SACP CC are sell outs and by extension addressed.” the very SACP and ANC they are serving are also sell outs. We said that the NDP either contradicts or fails to take forward key progressive policies, including The truth of the matter is that these comrades on the need to fundamentally transform the are serving in these formations based on the structure of our economy, and promote a new resolutions and strategies of the federation path of growth through redistribution; the need which is articulated in our 2015 plan and in for a massive concerted push to industrialise many of our congress resolutions. our economy, and that of the region; the

92 BOOK 1 PROGRAMMES/AGENDA/MINUTES/RESOLUTIONS National General Council (NGC) need to place the creation of decent work for up of two segments: a) that segment of the all at the centre of economic policy; and to bourgeoisie that is allied to monopoly capital place redistribution and combating economic and imperialism and b) that segment that inequality and poverty as a fundamental pillar accumulates on the basis of “corruption”. of economic development. For the first segment, its mode of accumulation The NDP does none of these things. We went is based on dealings that ensure that the further to identify those areas in the economic interests of monopoly capital are protected chapter and we also communicated them in and extended. Inter-imperialist rivalries over the recent Alliance Summit. the spoils of the country are bound to find Based on its own observations the CEC expression in the bickering, discord and cat- then resolved, among others, to call for the fights within the comprador bourgeoisie. redrafting and fundamental overhaul of the core economic chapter of the Plan, and any It is in this context that, if the movement is to other aspects of the NDP in conflict with Alliance maintain its unity and clarity of purpose and policies, or undermining the radical economic policy, this element of the bourgeoisie must be shift, which we all agree, must form the main carefully tackled and isolated from the ranks content of this phase of our transition. of the movement or conditions get created to force them out of the movement and have This redrafting should be based on agreed them form their own parties outside of the Alliance positions and this is part of the movement so that they can be tackled openly agreement which was reached at the recent as the enemies of the movement. Alliance Summit and which is currently being processed by the Alliance Task team under the The effect of the comprador element is Auspices of the Alliance Secretariat. also to mask the true nature of the enemy. Since it has dealings with monopoly capital We request that the SADTU leadership must and imperialism, its approach is to blunt our make copies of this resolution and circulate it movement`s understanding of the enemy, amongst the delegates. Equally it is a lie that the and to divert attention to issues that are either SACP has accepted the National Development peripheral, or issues that are “effects” of the Plan. We have read the SACP`s position on underlying class relations. the NDP and we share similar concerns and we were with the SACP in the Alliance Summit The comprador bourgeoisie seeks to replace and they were as vocal as COSATU about our the domestic white capitalist class, or to squeeze concerns particularly on the economic chapter itself in the alliance of white-monopoly capital of the NDP. and imperialism, and thereby become part of the exploiters. In this way, it will consistently Comrades must stop whipping the emotions attempt to discourage the advocacy of the of the masses based on lies. We will continue need to pursue the NDR in the direction of to expose these lies more systematically until social emancipation and it will ensure that the our people see the agenda behind them! continuous postponement of measures that Comrades the battle we are confronting is huge tackle property relations in a revolutionary way. and must not for once get under estimated. We will have to understand the complexity of the The second segment of the comprador class enemy we are confronting. bourgeoisie is those that accumulate on the basis of what is ordinarily called corruption, Part of the elements of the enemy manifest which is nothing but capital accumulation as the comprador bourgeoisie which is made outside the parameters of bourgeois legality.

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This segment is not necessarily linked to white- This proposal is based on an understanding monopoly capital and imperialism. that minimum wages can be a powerful tool for supporting decent work goals and can be Elements of it consistently seek accommodation a crucial complement to the strengthening of in the monopoly capital alliance, and they social protection floors and poverty alleviation consistently fail to find a place on the dinner- efforts. Rising minimum wages can help to table of monopoly capital. At one point, it rebalance sources of growth even with limited adopts the positions of the non-compradorial fiscal space. bourgeoisie, in another instance, it positions itself against imperialism. In this segment too, Secondly comrades, there are things which internal bickering, discord, and rivalries over we will need to do consciously and primary the dregs of spoils that are left by monopoly- amongst these is building our organisation capitalism, particularly the spoils arising from based on pursuing class unity and the unity tax revenue and state-debt. of our movement. At no time should we do things which undermine this core and primary A dispassionate concrete analysis of the responsibility of the current period. representatives of the comprador bourgeoisie cannot be delayed any longer. Just as much In this context, one of the things we will need as we know who our heroes and heroines are, to pursue is the revival of solidarity activities it is easy to know who these representatives amongst our unions within COSATU and this of monopoly capital are. I want to leave it to will require taking serious steps to at the same the National General Council to observe the address pouching amongst our unions. traces of a section within the labour movement who by their actions and articulation connects The type of an organisation we want to build with the comprador bourgeoisie and thereby and which will have the capacity to respond consciously or unconsciously serve to prolong to the challenges of the day will be determined and sustain the dominance of the monopoly by the activities we undertake today. These capital as the ruling class. activities are articulated in our constitution, in our 1997 September Commission report, in I want to repeat comrades that it is important our 2015 plan, in our 11th National Congress at this stage for the federation and the resolutions and in our Alliance Programme liberation movement to prioritize the provision of Action including from the recent Alliance of solutions to the challenges facing our people Summit. particular as it is being compounded by the economic crisis. If we do not do that we will fail What are these activities and what should be to see the real enemy and instead conveniently our approach in executing them? manufacture an enemy amongst ourselves. The first one is respect for the constitution and We have already laid the bases for the possibility the discipline of the organisation. That is why as of providing solutions to the challenges the NOBs we are proceeding with convening confronting our people. One of the immediate the Special Congress as per the constitutional responses which have been put forward by requirement. We are guided by our respect COSATU in the context of deepening poverty for the constitution. We will be presenting a and inequality has been a living wage progress report to our November CEC. campaign in which we have on among others put forward a proposal for a legislated minimum We also want to finalise all the disciplinary wage, a proposal which has received support process currently underway within the within the Alliance. federation and we are guided by the code

94 BOOK 1 PROGRAMMES/AGENDA/MINUTES/RESOLUTIONS National General Council (NGC) of conduct and practice in the federation. As the movement and the ANC government as if you are aware that we have also been taken it was our class enemy. Where we see mistakes to court, the very courts which are sometimes we will approach the movement, close the conveniently defined by some as instruments of doors and ventilate our anger. class rule. Where we see that the movement is not We will be doing these things simultaneously prepared to listen we will use our mass muscle, and all we know is that COSATU will emerge take to the streets and use fire to send a victorious. Our focus is not on individuals but is message that let the sleeping grass awaken. on the organisation we want COSATU to remain At the centre of the campaigns which we will above any individual! be undertaking will be an intention to inspire confidence to our members and to concurrently Part of this process of elevating discipline take forward the programme of Organisational will include asserting the founding principles Development as articulated the September of the federation and we will pay particular Commission. It is when the organization takes up attention to the principle of worker control, one specific activities and in the main its campaigns country, one industry one union, one country that its strengths and weaknesses get exposed. one federation, Solidarity and democratic centralism. As we speak we have been engaging with the movement and government to put across We want to emphasise even in this NGC that a message that the decision to implement once senior structures of the organisation has E-tolls is wrong and that we want a total ban taken a decision all must work to champion on labour brokers and as things stand there has those decisions and own them as theirs even if been progress on some of the issues we raised one held a different view in the meeting. That but there is also no agreement on others. is what we call revolutionary discipline and not to say and do things only when it favours you as It is in this context that we are currently an individual. We want to assert the primacy of considering proposals from the meeting of the organisation over individuals. organisers for National Days of Action on the 12th - 13th - and 14th where we will be going Secondly we must practically take up the out to say we do not want e-tolls - we want campaigns which are directed at our primary reliable, accessible , affordable and safe public enemy. At the centre of these campaigns is transport. the living wage campaign for which we have already submitted section 77 notices containing We will go out to say to our movement we do our Socio-Economic Demands? Part of these not want Labour Brokers , we don`t want them demands is the total banning of the labour to exist and operate even for three months , not brokers and the campaign for an accessible, even for a day - we want a total ban on these reliable and affordable public transport and scavengers of workers blood. in this context we are taking up a campaign against E-tolls. But does it mean that when we go out we will then not vote for the ANC. No, we will come As we take up these campaigns we will not back and mobilise for the victory of the ANC seek to occupy the public space through in the 2014 elections because we will not get insults that we hurl against our own liberation into a trap of judging the ANC on the bases movement, but neither are we going to be of separated grievances but we will judge the silent when we can see that our movement is ANC based on its track record of liberating our committing mistakes; but we will not deal with people; we will judge the ANC on its overall

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performance since 1994. those resources is the September Commission recommendations on restructuring the We know that for us to win other issues will be federation and building the capacity of its a function of tilting the balance of forces on engines. We should ask ourselves if we did the ground and we know that we are involved implement those recommendations including in a class struggle where victory is never given the subsequent organisational renewal on a silver platter but comes as a result of a resolutions or we implemented them selectively consistent and principled struggle. This generation of COSATU leaders have a Our federation has reached a point where it responsibility to use the current challenges and has to decide on its future and this decision will our current political and organisational activities not be taken in boardrooms but in the actual to construct chapter eleven of the September arena of struggle where there is continuous Commission. class and ideological contest even amongst the comrades. This is homework to SADTU to read the September Commission report table proposals on how we But the decision about our future must not should proceed. We must not retreat but move proceed from a lie that we are about to split but with our breast forward, use our organisational should proceed from the fact that we need to muscle and take the enemy head on! sharpen our organisation to have the capacity to respond to the challenges of this epoch. We wish that this National General Council a historical success. Instead of looking for solutions from somewhere, including those of breaking away, we should Amandla! tap to our own historical resources one of

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NATIONAL GENERAL COUNCIL RESOLUTIONS

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1. ORGANISATIONAL

1.1 SAC ACTIVITIES FOR PHYSICALLY CHALLENGED MEMBERS

Noting that: • Minimal participation of physically challenged members in Sports, Arts and Culture activities of SADTU.

Believing that: • SADTU being a non-discriminatory organisation believes that this is an issue of inclusivity.

Therefore resolve: • During all sporting and cultural activities physically challenged members must be accommodated for these events.

Mover: Northern Cape Seconder: Free State

1.2 ESTABLISHMENT OF A CONSTITUTIONAL & POLICY SUB-COMMITTEE

Noting that: • 2014 is the year of the national congress which has amongst other responsibilities, the duty to amend the constitution when mandated to do so. • Amendment of the constitution is a critical and legally technical work that warrants more time that which the normal conference could hardly provide. • Duplication of some clauses in the constitution on a similar issue. • There are some gaps in the constitution as amended in 2010. • Constitutional amendment work at national congress receives inadequate exposure as a result of time constraints.

Believing that: • The 2014 national congress shall be mandated to consider constitutional amendment. • Constitutional amendment is a complex exercise that also requires some legal expertise and as such dedication of ample time and deployment of a standing committee thereto is a prerequisite. • Duplication of some clauses in the constitution has given rise to inconsistencies within the constitution itself. • Constitutional amendment is an ongoing exercise necessitated by amongst other things, the growth and challenges of the organization as well as gaps picked therein. • Timeous engagement on this exercise shall minimize normal protracted discussion on same at the national congress.

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Therefore resolve that: • The NEC consider the establishment of Constitutional and Policy Development of sub-committees

Mover: KwaZulu Natal Seconder: Northern Cape

1.3 ANNUAL NATIONAL ASSESSMENT (Refer to the Secretariat Report) (Refer to the Education, Gender and Labour Policy Conference, 23-25 March 2012-Emporers Palace Hotel, Boksburg, Page 15)

Noting that: • ANA was introduced as a systemic evaluation to conduct a competitive evaluation against other countries in Literacy and Numeracy • Administration of ANA consumes a lot of time thus hampers the smooth running of teaching and learning. • Marking of ANA is also an extra burden on the part of educators since educators are expected to mark all the scripts. • Grade 9 learners are subjected to write three papers at the same time. • There is no common prescribed textbook for all the learners • Questions are asked from any range of the Examiner’s discretion • There is no Memorandum discussion for ANA papers before marking • Marking of these papers differs from school to another • ANA is written annually and does not give any space for possible interventions, • ANA is currently being used to evaluate and classify schools as underperforming thus becoming strenuous to educators and managers, • There is no uniform application of the strategy in the system, • ANA Moderators are remunerated whilst the markers are not, • The strategy is currently applied for Grade 1 to 6 and 9 instead of focussing on Gr 3, 6,9 • Marking of ANA is decentralised to schools while moderation is centralised. • Overload of activities at the end of third term • Planning of ANA by the DOE disrupts the programme of schools.

Believing that: • Learners could not sustain the workload of examinations • A common prescribed book can assist in topics to focus on in preparation for writing of ANA. • There should be Memorandum discussions for the every ANA paper written prior to the marking of such a paper in order to maintain uniformity • ANA should stick to its mandate of systemic evaluation, • There should be uniform application of the strategy in the system • Any work related to ANA should be compensated.

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• ANA’s objective is to evaluate the system.

Therefore resolve that: • ANA should remain a systemic evaluation with time frames • All ANA scripts should be sent for a centralised marking • All markers should be paid in terms of tariffs to be agreed upon at the Bargaining Council. • There should be prescribed books for uniformity • There be uniform application of the strategy, • Prompt feedback be given to schools before the results are publicized, • The strategy should focus on Grade 3, 6 and 9; • There should be meaningful intervention programmes after feedback is given to schools • ANA should be managed at the beginning of the third term • ANA should be discontinued as an annual assessment as of 2014, and be substituted by a 3 year cycle of assessment. • DOE should provide schools with their ANA plans as early as the first term. • Time of writing of ANA should be shifted to August. • Planning of ANA should be the process not an event. • Administering of ANA should match the standards of grade 12 in terms of marking. • Assess all instruments/tools on how they are assisting (ANA should be discontinued)

Mover: Free State, Gauteng, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Eastern Cape

1.4 SAFETY IN SCHOOLS

Believing that: • Teachers’ health deteriorate because of violence • Many teachers leave the profession because there is lack of support from employer. • The education sector suffers huge costs such as high rate of attrition, absenteeism, lost wages with untold consequences, accumulated debt because of exhausted medical aid and loss of instructional time

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Therefore resolve that: § Violence against teachers is put to an end without any delay. This must be done by ensuring that there are periodical searches conducted at random at school level (Not by Educators) either by private institutions or the police; Employment of security personnel in schools; § That a national registry that can be used to track these incidents and be created under the auspices of ELRC § A dedicated research be conducted taking into sociological issues, demographics of the school, the type of the administration at all levels, parental involvement and the neighbourhood within which the school is located § Every role player take a stand and make a pledge to stop violence against teachers § Education department respond to any case reported within the shortest period available § Department of education provide psychological service to all schools § Perpetrators be given the harshest sanction as a deterrent § DBE review the suspension clauses in the National Education Policy Act, SASA and regulations in order to make them efficient whilst the case is being dealt with § The union hold seminars with learners, parents, and other stakeholders to raise awareness of the injustice

Mover: Limpopo Seconder: Western Cape

1.5 HIGHER EDUCATION MOTIONS

Noting that: § MDGs are under review currently § Universities play an important role in the mobilisation of human talent § Contribute to the social, economic, cultural and intellectual life of a rapidly changing society § Produce high-level skills training § Universities are crucial training and provision of human capital to strengthen this country’s enterprises, services and infrastructure § This requires the development of professionals and knowledge workers with globally equivalent skills, but who are socially responsible and conscious of their role in contributing to the national development effort and social transformation. § That the production, acquisition and application of new knowledge is critical in the knowledge economy

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Mover: Western Cape Seconder: Kwazulu Natal

1.6 COMPETENCY TEST

There resolve that: • We reject competency testing for selection of markers. • DBE must tie professional development to content gap with the intention of improving marking

Mover: Western Cape Seconder: All provinces

1.7 LANGUAGES

Noting that: • English as the language of teaching and learning is common in many schools and African language is getting less weight • African languages has a low economic status

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Believing that: • The means of production and exchange are tied into a language • Having a good education does not mean fluency in English • Many teacher are teaching languages at a lower level than required in most schools

Mover: Kwazulu Natal Seconder: Northern Cape /Limpopo

1.8 NORMS AND STANDARDS

Believing that: • The poor infrastructure contribute to poor quality teaching and learning • Learners are subjected to unnecessary harsh conditions in schools • Teacher and learner safety is compromised • The norms and standards proposed by the DBE will not address the problem • Learners with disabilities are turned away because the school structure is inadequate

Mover: Free State Seconder: Mpumalanga

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1.9 COMMENTS ON NCS PROMOTION REQUIREMENTS

Believing that:

• The increase in pass requirement lacks substance in the existing poor teaching and learning environment • The increase in pass requirement will contribute to the dropout rate • Strengthening SBAs will support quality of schooling • Making life orientation examinable will contribute to better quality teaching in this subject

Therefore resolve that:

• DBE keep the current promotion requirement and support a plan to increase the requirement with proper time frames and teacher development • The current mathematics setup be investigated to open up career opportunities since Math Literacy is unrecognized • Make Life Orientation non examinable • Research on the posture and credits of Life Orientation in getting access to Higher Education Institutions. • DBE develop a SBA strategy (Strengthening some forms of assessment) and the increase SBA contribution towards the NSC • DBE expand the scope of the qualification and work closely with post school systems

Mover: KwaZulu Natal Seconder: All provinces

1.10 SADTU CO-OPERATIVE BANK

Noting that:

• A co-operative bank represents an alternative to conventional private banking. It is not based on profit-maximisation but rather on meeting the common financial needs of its members. • It is collectively-owned and democratically controlled by its members. • The co-op bank, formed and owned by workers, has demonstrated success around the world, by effectively responding to high charges and fees of private banks, and the exploitative way conventional banks use our funds as workers. • The union must have some benefits for its members designed especially for them.

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Believing that: • A Co-op bank can go a long way in addressing the problems facing our members such as indebtedness and providing financial education, and financial products that serve the needs of our members. • In the long-term a co-op bank can make a long-lasting impact of the economic well-being our members and their families.

Mover: Organisational Commission Seconder: Eastern Cape /Western Cape/ Kwazulu Natal

2. POLITICAL

1.1 GENERAL ELECTIONS 2014

Noting that: • The National General Elections will be held in 2014 and this will be a mammoth task for the ANC.

• Opposition parties are on a serious smear campaign against the ANC

• There are many mushrooming political parties which are confusing the majority of South Africans especially the youth.

• Most of the youth who potential voters are at schools.

• The achievements of the ANC-led government since 1994 up to date.

• The changing political landscape in South Africa

• There is a growing anti ANC in WC- attitude in some communities.

• The Western Cape is seen as a boerestad (Homeland) of the DA.

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Therefore resolve that: • We reaffirm both SADTU and COSATU National Congress resolutions to support the ANC in the 2014 elections. • All SADTU members should take part in the alliance campaigns canvassing for the decisive two third victory for ANC. • SADTU should support Home Affairs on its ID campaigns in high schools • Focus programme on first time voters should be developed. • SADTU, through COSATU participate in conceptualising the election manifesto. • Citizens be educated on a continuous basis that voting is their basic constitutional right. • SADTU through COSATU should mobilize resources, both human and material, to support the campaigns of the ANC during the elections. To that end, SADTU should release all their Shop Stewards and leaders to serve as volunteers in the ANC election machinery programme. • President Jacob Zuma must be affirmed as the face of the ANC election Campaign • The NEC must deal with all the vulnerable areas with special attention being afforded to the Western Cape province.

Mover: Political Commission Seconder: All Provinces

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1.2 SUSPENSION OF THE COSATU GS

Mover: Political Commission Seconder: Kwazulu Natal/Mpumalanga Western Cape/Free State/Northern Cape

1.3 UNITY OF THE ALLIANCE AND UNITY OF THE FEDERATION

Noting that: • The threat posed by break away groupings in SADTU with the intention to form a counter revolutionary Union.

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• The unfortunate mushrooming of the foreign tendencies to defy decisions of the highest structures by the lower structures and individuals of the organisation. • The usage of Courts to deal with the internal organisational issues both in SADTU and COSATU. • The public spats by leaders in particular with regard to the developments in the COSATU CEC. • The misconstrued position of COSATU on National Development Plan and the posture of the Alliance on it. • The unfortunate display of the element of tribalism as witnessed in other corners of our country. • The foreign culture of the personality cult within the structures of the Alliance. • The current challenges linked to the internal processes with COSATU. • There are calls for a special congress by some unions.

Believing that: • This situation brings structural confusion and factionalism. • The situation undermines alliance structures’ constitutions. • It creates fertile grounds for media leakages and fertile ground to further divide the organisations. • It creates an opportunity for individual grandstanding over organisational mandates. • That COSATU as the federation is the only weapon and instrument in the hands of the workers to fight against class exploitation and poor working conditions of the workers. • A request for a special congress is unnecessary and ill-conceived given the current implementation of the programme that COSATU is implementing and thus time wasting and will deplete the already thin budgets of affiliates.

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efforts to resolve the current impasse in the Federation. • As disciplined members of SADTU we should support the current internal processes of COSATU that seeks to unite the organization. To that end, leaders and members of SADTU should refrain from making unmandated pronouncements in the media that may undermine the internal processes of SADTU, COSATU and Alliance.

Mover: Political Commission Seconder: All Provinces

1.4 SUSPENSION OF SADTU PRESIDENT

Noting that: • The suspension of the SADTU President by the NEC of SADTU and the allegations levelled against him. • The investigation processes that are currently under way to afford both parties the space and time to deal with the matters. • The SADTU Constitution and code of discipline 7.8 - all members including Office Bearers shall be subject to the SADTU Code of discipline. • Clause 7.7.2 of SADTU’s Constitution • The President is undermining the conditions of his suspension by speaking to media.

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• Free, fair and transparent processes must be implemented expeditiously. • Stipulations of the Constitution must be followed to the letter.

Mover: Political Commission Seconder: All Provinces

1.5 EASTERN CAPE MEMBERS & LEADERS

Therefore resolve that: • SADTU as a matter of urgency condemns all signs of tribalism that undermine unity and leaders in the organisation. • SADTU condemns in the strongest possible term the reported defiance of the union decision and reported unbecoming and ostensibly divisive behaviour demonstrated towards the national treasurer in the Eastern Cape. • The NEC must develop an approach to address the situation of the Eastern Cape

Mover: Political Commission Seconder: All Provinces

1.6 EMERGENCE OF NEW TRADE UNIONS

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centralised bargaining, as ways of smashing worker organisation.

Mover: Political Commission Seconder: All Provinces

3. SOCIO ECONOMICS

1.1 QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (QMS)

Noting that: • The current instrument links learner performance to that of an educators; • Contextual factors are not consistently evaluated and scored in our schools; • Management in schools particularly principals and their deputies teaching responsibilities in the QMS instrument has been elevated to management duties; • QMS has become a stand-alone instrument with the possibility of another instrument on development to be created • 2013 period is almost exhausted while negotiations and consultation is underway.

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• Classroom experience and direct engagement with learners in subject delivery is vital for every educator in schools; • Appraisal and development instrument need to be user-friendly and less cumbersome in administrative work; • Adequate time for advocacy and training shall be needed before implementation.

Therefore resolve that: • De-link the learner performance/attainment from the Teacher appraisal process • Eliminate elements of subjectivity: Build in the democratic principles: Democratic Structures (Process not to be left the immediate supervisor); Build in the moderation process; • Synchronise the processes such that there is synergy and avoid multiplicity of instruments: Weaknesses that would be identified during the appraisal process should be used for development purposes and link with Integrated Strategic Plan for Teacher Development Processes; • Build in two clauses: ü Identification of weaknesses: Link with ISPTD; CPTD processes ü Performance be recognised and rewarded • Run a parallel process: Negotiators to strengthen the document while conducting workshops with the structures for feed-back by March 2014; • Put a time-frame for implementation to 2015, and allow 2014 for advocacy and piloting

Mover: Seconded:

1.2 BULLYING IN THE INSTITUTIONS OF LEARNING

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services within institutions of learning, • Lack of a comprehensive plan to combat bullying in our institutions of learning

Believing that: • That bullying is an injustice to all the learners/students in our institutions of learning, • That the lack of a comprehensive plan to combat bullying by the department is the worst injustice to our learners/students • That this demon is stealing the dignity, self-esteem and confidence of the victims, • That any bullying whether is directed to gender, sexual orientation, physical, disability of the learner/students or any other form is unlawful and unacceptable.

Therefore resolve that: • That the Union convenes Provincial Principals’ (members of SADTU) Conferences or seminars to seriously discuss and develop strategies to stop this scourge; • That the Union cause the DBE to develop a comprehensive plan to combat bullying; • That the Union encourage Teachers, Students/learners, parents and support staff to take a pledge to stop bullying in all our institutions of learning; • That the Union create within the existing website a blog for members to report bullying; • That the ELRC conduct targeted research on the support the teachers require to be able to teach learners that display this behaviour; • That the DBE takes full responsibility in creating a formidable register to track down the incidents and the resolution thereof; • To cause every institution of learning to declare the institutions a bully free zones; • That the DBE provide well qualified teachers in the teaching of learners with this behaviour with the intention of assisting the affected learners to benefit from the learning process; • That the DBE cause every affected parent to take personal responsibility to stop bullying; • That the learner who commits continuous acts of bullying must receive the harshest sanction because the right of this learner disrupts the rights of other learners to education.

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• Further consider calling for an amendment to South African Schools’ Act provisions on the suspension of learners to address the above.

Mover: Secretariat Seconder:

1.3 EARLY PENSION CASH-IN BY EDUCATORS & EDUCATION WORKERS IN GENERAL THROUGH RESIGNATIONS AND RE-ENTERING THE SYSTEM

There resolve that: • Information on pension benefits and attendant risks associated with management and withdrawal thereof be cascaded to members through GEPF road-shows • A proper investigation should be conducted on the factors affecting the morale of Educators; • The Educators should be discouraged from resigning and re-entering the system as this would result in unintended consequences for such Educators and their families; • That SADTU should advocate for a social dialogue in Education that will assist to identify the challenges related to the social ills that are forcing experienced Educators to resign and re-enter the system and assess the impact of such on their lives

Mover: Kwa Zulu-Natal Seconded: All Provinces

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1.4 RURAL ALLOWANCE, INCENTIVES & REWARDS

Mover: Eastern Cape, Free State, Western Cape (Existing 2010 Congress, P221) Re-affirm

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1.5 ON FETC WORKERS’ IMMINENT MIGRATION TO DoHET AND THE OUTSTANDING REPRESENTATION OF OTHER PUBLIC SERVICE ACT EMPOYED WORKERS

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• The current SADTU membership figures of the workers to be migrated inclusive of other members already in the GPSSBC places SADTU in a more confident position to engage other unions for acting together agreement.

Mover: Kwazulu Natal Seconder: Northern Cape

1.6 ROAD MAP FOR SALARY NEGOTIATIONS: 2015/16

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• That the union demands a single term agreement; • That all outstanding issues be urgently addressed • That SADTU accepts the COSATU position paper on GEHS • That initial capitalization of the scheme be funded by the government • PSCBC should speed up the processes of GEHS with attached clear time frames for implementation by January 2015 such that implementation coincides with the next round of negotiations. • That scenario three is one preferred in terms of inflation plus 2% and that it should be single term.

Mover: Gauteng, Limpopo, Kwa Zulu-Natal, North West, Mpumalanga

Seconder: All Provinces

1.7 NEW LEAVE FORMS

Noting that: • Unilateral implementation of the new leave without consultation. • The confusion created by the implementation of the new leave form.

Believing that: • Implementation of the new form without consultation undermines collective bargaining.

Mover: Limpopo Seconded: All Provinces

1.8 AET CONDITIONS OF SERVICE

Noting that: • There is no uniformity in provinces and districts on AET issues • Working conditions are not desirable. • Learners are recruited to attend by teachers • The current Organogram is not assisting the centres. • Level 4 is the final level offered at the centres. • Claiming takes long to process. Some educators pass on while waiting for payment.

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• Educators are not informed on issues that affect them. • Movement from DBE to DHET is taking long and frustrating educators. • The learner-teacher ratio is currently 1-20 in AET.

Therefore resolve that: • A uniform & centralized policy should be developed that should be implemented by all provinces and districts.

Mover: Limpopo Seconded: Mpumalanga, Limpopo & Western Cape

1.9 ON FETC WORKERS’ IMMINENT MIGRATION TO DoHET AND THE OUTSTANDING REPRESENTATION OF OTHER PUBLIC SERVICE ACT EMPOYED WORKERS

Noting that:

• Intervallic implementation of Act 3 of 2012 that transfers FETC workers to the DoHET.

• The expansion of SADTU’s scope to recruit all education workers including Public Service Act employees as per Congress resolution.

• The already advanced mobilization and recruitment and servicing of support staff in schools and DoE department offices as well as in the FETC which has placed SADTU ahead of other unions as the only reliable and revolutionary trade union capable of advancing workers’ aspiration for their total emancipation.

• SADTU’s visibility in FETC and the DoE department offices and her historic wars and defense for this vulnerable sector was exceptionally remarkable.

• Other unions have vigorously focused their recruitment drive on support staff in schools and in the DoE department offices in response to SADTU’s militant intervention and presence therein as well as in the FETC sector in anticipation of a perceived smooth takeover of our members when they migrate.

• Existence of a separate bargaining council for this category of workers.

• SADTU is currently not party to the GPSSBC which is the official bargaining council for this category of workers, majority of them have conditions of

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services are not commensurate with their labour power they sell to the employer and fall far below the par of other State workers.

• The existing decision for SADTU to act together with another COSATU union in the GPSSBC.

• SADTU’s membership of Public Service Act employees falls short of the required threshold for registration in the GPSSBC.

Believing that:

• Implementation of Act 3 of 2012 shall effectively cause all this category of workers to be transferred to DoHET by the 1st of January 2014.

• SADTU has secured sizeable figures of this category of workers as members and further that these workers have correctly identified themselves with SADTU as the most militant and revolutionary union in education most competent to represent them.

• SADTU’s presence in the FETC sector has saved this sector from blatant exploitation occasioned by the FETCEO policies over the last six years.

• SADTU’s direct and militant engagement with the DoE on issues of all the workers employed in terms of the Public Service Act has freed our members from chains of captivity they were subjected to perpetually.

• SADTU’s presence in the GPSSBC shall ensure uninterrupted and expansion of worker struggles in yet another critical terrain of worker struggle for total emancipation of all education workers.

Therefore resolve that:

• A dedicated and focused recruitment drive must be conducted by all provinces henceforth and reports thereof should be tabled in all NEC meetings for accountability purposes.

• The existing resolution of SADTU of acting together with another COSATU union in the GPSSBC be implemented as a matter of urgency.

• That in this effect a NEC task team must be formed with immediate effect to begin talks on working together with other COSATU unions thereat.

• Such an agreement be entered into before the end of 2013 to mitigate already existing disillusionment and despair amongst these militant members of this sector should SADTU be out of reach for them.

Mover: KwaZulu Natal Seconder: Northern Cape

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1.10 CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

Therefore resolve that:

• All Companies including the mines be caused to provide enough infrastructure to the communities where they’re located

• Full implementation of the mining charter

• Such companies should improve bursary benefits to the learners and provide career exhibitions; • SADTU through COSATU should mobilise and educate communities about policies which are in their favour.

Mover: Limpopo Seconder:

1.11 PILIR

Noting that: • The current stalemate brought by the litigating by service providers offering risk management on PILIR cases. • The long outstanding cases on PIIR.

Believing that:

• The speedy resolution of PILIR cases will afford members a dignified exit from the profession.

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• Re-look into the entire PILIR policy with a view of strengthening and building capacity from within and not outsource the service; • Re-affirm our resolve to completely ban out-sourcing in the public sector.

Mover: KwaZulu-Natal Seconder: All Provinces

1.12 ECD AND GRADE R PRACTITIONERS

Therefore resolve that: ECD and Grade R Practitioners must be included in the mainstream as from 2015 and should receive benefits enjoyed by all employees in the public service.

Mover: Mpumalanga Seconder: All Provinces

1.13 GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEE PENSION FUND (GEPF)

Noting that: • The administrative backlog associated with HR section of the department in timeous processing of the GEPF application forms when an employee is to exit the system either by normal retirement, resignation or death. • That delay relating to pension payouts constitutes an element of unfair labour practice.

Believing that: • When the employee/beneficiaries become cash strapped, it negatively impacts on their dignity. • The lack of a well coherent co-ordination between employer and the GEPF.

Therefore resolve that: • The retirees to access their monthly salaries whilst awaiting their pension payouts, and the money paid be recovered once the pension payout is effected; • That a penalty clause be built in to address the inefficiencies of the department to make submission to the GEPF; • We ensure that there is compliance with the GEPF rules in respect of the time- frames for pension pay-out.

Mover: North West Seconder: All Provinces

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1.14 ASPIRATIONAL MODEL

Noting that:

• We need to equalise education in the country;

Believing that:

• All learners need to receive an equal education opportunity with similar experiences

Therefore resolve that:

• SADTU should develop a concept document on what an ideal school and subject that to further research;

1.15 GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEE MEDICAL SCHEME

Noting that:

• Resolution 1 of 2006 exists and SADTU never signed it

• Members are experiencing very serious administrative and financial challenges about GEMS

• The Union, as per Resolution, is unable to assist members with the challenges that they are facing with regard to GEMS’s administration.

Believing that:

• Members will be financially exploited by the employer through t h i s “maladministration”

Therefore resolve that:

• Resolution 1 of 2006 should be improved such that it benefits the members

• 66.6% subsidy should be retained across the board irrespective of the number of your dependants.

• We reiterate National Congress of 2010, resolution 4.15

Mover: Western Cape Seconded: All Provinces

1.16 EDUCATION WELLNESS

(Refer to Education, Gender and Labour Policy Conference recommendations on same)

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Noting that:

• SADTU is an Education Worker Union that is promoting and maintaining high standards of ethical conduct, professional integrity and efficient teaching standards

• Workers are faced with protracted sicknesses and we are losing members, knowledgeable educators and experienced educators because of various physical and psychological conditions.

• Lack of Social and Collective support and dejection often leads some to abuse of alcohol and objectionable conduct.

Believing that:

• It is the directive of SADTU to assist members to recover from these conditions or at least to make circumstances and persona in relation with the Profession tolerable.

• There is a need for an enthusiastic membership wellness programmes within the union.

• The current Teaching environment impacts enormously on teachers and often results in low productivity levels and comprehended frustrations sometimes leads to incapacity and ultimately to misconduct.

Therefore resolve that:

• SADTU should strengthen its wellness programme through adequate staffing capacity building.

• Partner with the Department of Education in joined programmes and further collaborate with the Department of Health and Social Development.

Mover: Northern Cape Seconded: All Provinces

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NATIONAL GENERAL COUNCIL DECLARATION

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Declaration of the National General Council of the South African Democratic Teachers Union (SADTU) 25 – 27 October 2013 Premier Hotel, Kempton Park, Gauteng Province

The SADTU National General Council (NGC), which brings together the National, Provincial and Regional leadership of the Union, representing over 256,000 educators and education workers, met to review the programmes of the Union from the 2012 National General Council and to plan the road ahead fully aware of the magnitude of the challenges confronting our education system in particular and education workers in general. The National General Council, convened under the National Congress mandating Theme: “Organise and Empower Education Workers to Deliver Free Quality Public Education and Build Socialism”. It met during challenging times in our struggle and noted the shifting tasks confronting the National Democratic Revolution and that the working class was called upon to drive the country’s vision to build a better life for all. The NGC deliberated on pertinent issues ranging from the political chemistry, socio- economic, international and organisational. The National General Council further extensively deliberated on all the matters affecting teachers, learners, education personnel and the country at large, assessed the impact of the work-to-rule campaign in the defence of collective bargaining, which is the essence of our existence. The NGC further took time to reflect on the escalating violence against our teachers and the teaching community in general. The NGC’s focus was on the evaluation of the curriculum transformation and the progress made in relation to Millennium Development Goals. The NGC further audited the progress made in relation to our 2030 vision. We further deliberated on the state of the federation and re-affirmed our unqualified support and commitment to the unity, cohesion and authority of the federation’s constitution. The NGC further looked into the threats or challenges facing the trade union movement in general, that being conservative trade unionism, the emerging workerist tendencies, business in trade unions, tribalism and vigilantism; and the phenomenon of misplaced radicalism which confuses marxism with anarchy. Confronted with these challenges, the NGC declares as follows:

In relation to creating a learning nation The NGC resolved as follows: On the message to the 2013 Grade 12 Class • We thank all the teachers for the commitment they have shown for the entire

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twelve years, preparing these learners for this important moment. We call on society and in particular the parents to support these learners during this time. Let us afford them enough time and space to prepare for these examinations.

• We further urge the learners to focus on their preparations and avoid unnecessary destructions.

• We call on all our members to expose any action that might cast any doubt on the credibility of the examinations.

On the Annual National Assessment • Having noted that ANA was introduced as a systemic evaluation to conduct a diagnostic test in Literacy and Numeracy.

The NGC declared as follows: • That ANA should remain a systemic evaluation with clear time frames that would allow for prompt feedback to be given to schools before the results are publicized followed by meaningful intervention programmes. • That ANA should be reviewed as an annual assessment as of 2014, and be substituted by a 3 year cycle of assessment. • In the review process we take a look at all the existing assessment tools with a view of establishing synergy amongst all of them.

On violence against teachers that • Violence against teachers be put to an end without any delay • A national registry that can be used to track these incidents and be created under the auspices of ELRC • A dedicated research be conducted taking into sociological issues, demographics of the school, the type of the administration at all levels, parental involvement and the neighbourhood within which the school is located • Every role player take a stand and make a pledge to stop violence against teachers • Parents should also take responsibility for the discipline of their children • Education department respond to any case reported within the shortest period available • Department of education provide psychological service to all schools • The harshest sentence should be meted against any person who attacks teachers and all other education workers at schools. • DBE review the suspension clauses in the National Education Policy Act, SASA and regulations in order to make them efficient whilst the case is being dealt with • The union hold seminars with learners, parents, and other stakeholders to raise

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awareness of the injustice • Violence against teachers is put to an end without any delay and that this must be done by employment of security personnel in schools, and ensuring that there are periodical searches conducted at random at school level by law enforcement agencies. • Hands-off our teachers!!!! • On Higher Education • SADTU commission a research on the Millennium Development Goals particularly the ones that have not been achieved and find out the lessons that can be drawn from them • The Union organise forums/workshops at which leading researchers on transformation and diversity present findings on the sector • The Union facilitate discussion groups that build coalitions of students, academic staff around the question of transformation • SADTU be involved in the battle of ideas and knowledge generation through research • SADTU as a beacon of hope for many South Africans should start organising in the higher education sector to influence the policy direction of the sector and make it sympathetic to the working class • Re-affirm the union’s position on demanding that higher education as a public good be free

With regard to the Competency Tests • We reject competency testing for selection of markers and that the DBE must tie professional development to content gap with the intention of improving marking.

On the Quality Management System (QMS) • That the current document on QMS should strengthened and any element of subjectivity be removed so that the instrument can be more acceptable and credible. • That the learner performance/attainment should not be linked to the Teacher appraisal process due to varying contextual factors that are affecting learning and teaching.

On bullying in the Institutions of Learning • That the Union convenes Provincial Principals’ (members of SADTU) Conferences or seminars to seriously discuss and develop strategies to stop this scourge; • That the Union cause the DBE to develop a comprehensive plan to combat bullying; • That the Union encourage Teachers, Students/learners, parents and support staff to take a pledge to stop bullying in all our institutions of learning;

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• That the Union create within the existing website a blog for members to report bullying; • That the ELRC conduct targeted research on the support the teachers require to be able to teach learners that display this behaviour; • That the DBE takes full responsibility in creating a formidable register to track down the incidents and the resolution thereof; • To cause every institution of learning to declare the institutions a bully free zones; • That the DBE provide well qualified teachers in the teaching of learners with this behaviour with the intention of assisting the affected learners to benefit from the learning process; • That the DBE cause every affected parent to take personal responsibility to stop bullying; • That the learner who commits continuous acts of bullying must receive the harshest sanction because the behaviour of this learner disrupts the rights of other learners to education. • Further consider calling for an amendment to South African Schools’ Act provisions on the suspension of learners to address the above.

On ECD and Grade R practitioners • ECD and Grade R Practitioners must be included in the mainstream as from 2015 and should receive benefits enjoyed by all employees in the public service.

In relation to building the delivery based organisational capacity The NGC resolved

NGC resolved as follows on socio-economic and labour issues:

On the new leave forms • Proper consultations should be done through bargaining councils and the department must be caused to place a moratorium on the usage of the new leave form in favour of the old form pending consultation processes. On corporate social responsibility • All Companies including the mines be caused to provide enough infrastructure to the communities where they’re located and SADTU through COSATU should mobilise and educate communities about policies which are in their favour.

In relation to the promotion of development orientated nation state The NGC resolved On the unity of the Alliance, unity of the federation, and the role of Educators and Education workers in the liberation struggle

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• To reaffirm all previous Alliance resolutions in building the unity and cohesion of the Alliance. • To reaffirm all resolutions on the capacity building of all leaders and members of the organisations in the Alliance. • To continue the implementation of political school programme at all levels of the Alliance with special focus on newly elected and recruited members. • To encourage all the affiliates to allow the current political intervention by both the ANC task team, SACP and the former leaders as part of the efforts to resolve the current impasse in the Federation. • As disciplined members of SADTU we should support the current internal processes of COSATU that seeks to unite the organization. To that end, leaders and members of SADTU should refrain from making unmandated pronouncements in the media that may undermine the internal processes of SADTU, COSATU and Alliance. On the suspension of SADTU President • All SADTU members and leaders should respect the current internal processes to unfold until they reach their logical conclusion. • That leaders and members alike should refrain from airing publicly any views that are likely to bring SADTU into disrepute. • Free, fair and transparent processes must be implemented expeditiously. • Stipulations of the Constitution must be followed to the letter.

On the suspension of the COSATU General Secretary • SADTU should support the decision of CEC in suspending both the General Secretary and the staff member of COSATU • All union leaders and members must respect and adhere to the current decision of SADTU NEC and to allow the law of natural justice to prevail. • SADTU denounces the action by some COSATU affiliated unions to take COSATU to court and SADTU should further vow to stand firmly in defence of COSATU under current leadership. • SADTU must condemn all signs of tribalism that seems to accompany those in COSATU who have employed magnanimous enthusiasm to protect the General Secretary of COSATU? • SADTU denounces any call for a Special COSATU Congress.

On Unity and Cohesion of the Union • SADTU as a matter of urgency condemns all signs of tribalism that undermine unity and leaders in the organisation. • SADTU condemns in the strongest possible term the reported defiance of the union decision and reported unbecoming and ostensibly divisive behaviour demonstrated towards the national treasurer in the Eastern Cape.

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• Call for NEC to develop an approach to address the situation of the Eastern Cape

On Counter-revolutionary formations • That all members of SADTU who are also cadres of the ANC must dissociate themselves from identified groupings that thrive on divisions and anarchy. • That the formation of AMCU in mining and SAPSU in education by renegades characterised by vigilantism which thrives on lies, propaganda, attacks, character assassination and smear campaign. This is phenomenon is further elevated and supported by negative media reporting. • That SADTU members should encourage learners and the youth to actively participate in the activities of progressive youth formations namely, COSAS, SASCO, YCLSA and ANCYL.

On the emergence of new Trade Unions • To ensure that the federation as whole remains united behind a programme whose primary focus will be to give excellent service to workers and to defend the revolution against enemy propaganda, whatever form it takes

On Marikana and Support and Solidarity with NUM • That we pledge our solidarity with the NUM and condemn the continuing killing of members and leaders of NUM. We also call on the law enforcement agencies to apprehend those involved in these barbaric actions.

On mobilising for Elections 2014 • All SADTU members should take part in the alliance campaigns canvassing for the decisive two third majority victory for ANC. • That all structures of SADTU engage in educating learners about the history of our country as part of the preparations for the 2014 elections • The Campaigns Committee be charged with a responsibility to develop a clear political elections programme.

SADTU REMAINS UNITED!!!! ALIVE!!!! AND LEADING!!!!!

WE REFUTE ALL THE LIES PEDDLED BY THE MEDIA ON STRUCTURES DEFYING THE NATIONAL LEADERSHIP!!!!

WE DECLARE THAT NO STRUCTURE AT THIS NGC DEFIED THE NATIONAL LEADERSHIP

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